


Tip

by ssfr



Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Genderbending in epilog, Happy Lesbian Syndrome, If you've read a romance novel it shouldn't be shocking, Other, Porny Plot, Stupid premise taken and run with
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2018-11-15 12:15:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 51,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11230758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssfr/pseuds/ssfr
Summary: So, a long time ago (Like mid 1990s) there was a story called _Gratuity_.  It was rather squicky and unfinished.This is finished, but you've got to decide for yourself if it is squicky.Saotome Ranma never loses (for long, anyway) and never backs down from a challenge.Tendou Akane finds Ranma a challenge she really should not have accepted . . .





	1. Notes and Log

Genom Research Presents  
A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Based on _Gratuity_, by Michael Chen (Zenki) and Megane 6.7

Which is based on _Ranma 1/2 by Takahashi Rumiko

And, like that story, rather explicit ^_^  
If you're not old enough to read a romance novel, you're not old enough to read this. Go away, please.

Otherwise, feel free to comment to Suika Roberts/sfr@genom-research.com

My notes, from when I originally wrote this:

Well, I just went and re-read _Gratuity_, and got inspired.

This isn't just my fault, in other words, and takes up right after the prolog  
of _Gratuity_ ends.

And my high-speed, terribly detailed outline, which let me finish the project:

hmm, seven days:

D1, D2:harem talk  
Ak/Yuka  
Ra/Uk  
Ak/No  
Done!  
Ak/Ra

D3:  
options  
Ra/Sayuri/Yuka  
Ko/Ak  
Ka/Ra  
Ak/Uk/Ra

D4:  
permanence  
Ra/Co  
Ak/Honda-sensei  
Ko/Ra  
Ak/Co

D5:  
Ra/Ak -ouch  
Ra/Hinako -ouch  
Ra/Ak/Uk date-

D6:  
Na/Ra/Ak/Uk -poor Ran-chan -_^  
Ra/Ak/Uk/Shan " "

D7:  
Ko/Ra/Ka/Ak/Na/Uk/Co/Sha/Hinako-sensei

D8:  
Aftermath.

I started this because I really liked the _Gratuity_ prolog, and thought it had potential to be cute, and sweet, and fun to read, with at least some F/F interaction. But it died an ignomious death, after four stories or so, abandoned, and all of the pairings squicked me.

So I decided to do it "Right", where that means `the way I want to read it, where they really do love each other, but _damned_ if they're going to say it' ^_^

I hope that came through, somehow.

Suika  
\---  
log:  
1999 June middle: re-read Gratuity, started  
1999 July 5: added log  
1999 July 24-27: wrote about 1600 lines . . .  
1999 July 28-Oct 9: wrote about six hundred lines . . .  
1999 Oct 10: Finished day three ^^; I don't know if I'll be able to finish this by the middle of next month at this rate.  
1999 Oct 10: four hundred lines  
1999 Oct 13: Two hundred lines so far; maybe I'll finish day four soon  
1999 Nov 5: a few paragraphs of dialog, after not working on it for almost a month. If I really hussle, maybe I can still finish this in six months.  
1999 Nov 8: a little more  
1999 Nov 13: Finally got the Duo running; and added a good bit.  
1999 Nov 16: Worked for an hour, added over a hundred lines, then had the Duo decide that her battery was too flat and crash. great fun.  
1999 Nov 17: got some more done.  
1999 Nov 18: Yay! nother section!  
1999 Nov 27: Actually got a decent bit done. Yay!  
1999 Dec 1: got most of day five done.  
1999 Dec 2: updated log for Dec 1, added a tiny bit of day six  
1999 Dec 3: Finished day five, tiny bit more of day six  
2000 Feb 12: worked on it off and on over the last few couple months. The Duo got to be too obnoxious, both because she's a bit slow, but mainly because I don't have a power-addapter for her. Got the 520 back, because she didn't sell for a price I'd like, and so I'm back to work again.  
2000 March 9: more playing with boxen. Got a Compaq Contura Aero 4/25 in trade, got linux up and running on it, got back to work, maybe. Did a little bit of work on the 520, but not much.  
2000 March 19: Got some more done, finally. I hope to finish day six soon.  
2000 March 25: Finished the first draft! Finally! YAY!  
2000 March 28: First full edit.  
2000 December 3: reread and editted.  
2001 May 20: re-wrapped at 78 columns  
2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.  
2005 November 4: put it into its own directory.


	2. Day -75 and Day -74

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or meeting Nodoka.

Genom Research Presents  
A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day -75

-*

 

A woman smiles down at me, `Are you OK?'

I smile back, soaking wet, `Yeah, I'm fine.'

`Grab onto this, and I'll pull you up.'

I blink, then give a little mental shrug, and catch hold of the cloth-wrapped bundle she holds down towards me. I wait for her to brace herself, then, `You ready?'

She nods, so I pull back a little, to help.

She, however, falls off the edge, into the ditch with me. I manage to catch her, so she doesn't hit her head or anything, but still, `You're all wet. I'm sorry.'

`You're such a tomboy,' she smiles at me again.

I stare at her, wondering why she looks so familiar, then ask, `Do you have any sisters? One who married a real git named Saotome Genma, perhaps?'

`No, I do not have any siblings, but Genma did take my name when we married.'

`Mom?' I gasp, throwing my arms around her.

`Who are you?' she gasps back, wrapping her arms around me.

I let go, and step back when her arms loosen, `Saotome Ranma, at your service.'

`Ranma? My Ranma was a boy,' she looks confused.

`I am, well, most of the time. Oyaji took me to this training ground in China, summer of last year, and I picked up this curse. Cold water turns me into a girl, and hot water turns me back. I've pretty much gotten used to it.'

`That's horrible,' she says, starting to walk down the ditch.

`It could be worse, Oyaji turns into a panda, a friend of mine turns into a pig, and another one turns into a,' pause, center, `cat.'

`Whatever possessed you to go there?'

`Oyaji can't read Chinese, and he wouldn't let me see the book of training grounds.'

-

`Anyway, here we are,' I tell her, leading her through the gate.

A few moments later, `I'm home,' I announce.

`We're going on a training trip, now, no questions,' Oyaji tells me, gathering me up under his arm, and then mom steps into his path.

Oyaji faints, and I only barely manage to wiggle free before he hits the ground.

-*  
Day -74

-*

 

`So, you let your husband make a promise to return Ranma as a man among men or commit seppuku?'

`Yes,' she tells me, `I should have realized that Genma would try to hide anything he saw as a mistake, rather than try to work things out. There is a reason I let him get away with such a vague promise.'

`So, you think Ranma's a `Man among Men,' even with the curse?'

`Of course! What man could resist a body like that? And the opportunities for clandestine research are just wonderful!' Nodoka smiles, `Of course, it would be better if he could control the curse a bit more, since it must be hard to stay away from hot water in the women's baths, but what do they say, no pain, no gain?'

I inch away from her a little bit, suddenly realizing that she's a pervert.

-

I shift a little, trying not to make any noise, yet still keep my legs from going to sleep.

At least I know why mom told me to hide, or I hope I do. This sort of thing is much too embarrassing to say to someone's face, "I expect you to go and look at girls, watch them, ogle their nubile bodies," is hardly something appropriate for a mother to say.

`Of course,' mom says, outside the closet she put me in, `Genma's such a prude that Ranma can hardly look at himself, let alone another girl, so I'm just a little worried that I'll never have any grandchildren. But boys mature slower, so I don't think I should judge his success with girls by my own.'

Akane makes a choking noise.

`Oh yes, I was quite the heartbreaker, back in school. I started flirting, consciously, at twelve, and had a steady string of girlfriends right up until I married Ranma's father. I really should have arranged things differently, but oh well,' I can almost see the wistful expression on her face.

`What do you mean,' Akane asks, her voice filled with trepidation.

`I mean that I really should have told Genma that same-sex encounters are orthogonal to marriage.'

What the heck's orthogonal mean?

`What does orthogonal mean?' Akane asks for me.

`Two sets are orthogonal if they have no overlapping components, so that changing one doesn't change the other,' she pauses, `So, the price of gasoline is orthogonal to the price of diesel fuel, even though both are controlled by the price of crude oil,' she pauses again, `but that isn't a very good example.

`Does one need to give up one's old friends just because one has made new ones?'

`No, but they sometimes drop away, after a little while,' Akane says, her voice a little sad.

`That's usually because they are used to getting a certain amount of attention, and with the new friends they don't get as much. This tends to make them feel unappreciated, and then they leave. I lost so many friends when I married Genma,' the pain in her voice is almost enough to make me brave Akane's wrath at being spied on.

Almost.

\---  
log:  
2000 Spring and early Summer: involuntary plotting.  
2000 July 29: started.  
2000 August 13-15: A bit more  
2000 Sept: continued  
2000 December 2: bit more  
2000 December 3: bit more  
2001 January 8: itsy bit.  
2001 April 24: Three whole lines! and a bit of editing  
2001 October 24: a little more! Need to get through this scene, and then I can go on, finally.  
2001 November 16: gyeh, this is really dragging. ah well.  
2001 November 20: skipped the end, I should get back to it later, and jumped to the next day.  
2002 September 24: just a tiny bit.  
2002 November 17: finished the beast. What'd'ya think? Need to finish that FIXMEd lemon scene, still  
2002 November 26: tiny edits.  
2003 March 29: tiny edits.


	3. day 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This follows after the _Gratuity_ prolog.
> 
> Akane has second thoughts, and seduces Ranma first . . .

Genom Research Presents  
A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

**

Day One: Mistakes

*One last chance to make him back out.* `Now. We should make sure that our ideas about this challenge match.' I smile at my iinazuke, picking up the fire pail conveniently resting on the floor.

`Huh? How do you mean?' Ranma blinks, cutely confused.

`This, baka.' I lean in, pour the water over the taller boy, then kiss the smaller girl firmly, my fingers making short work work of the ties on Ranma's pants.

`What are you doing?' Ranma almost sqeaks, her back arching to press herself more firmly against my hands.

`Do you want me to stop?' my voice is husky, my hands working the ties on Ranma's shirt.

Ranma is keeping her hands to herself, but pressing back against my groping hands, `No. Don't stop. Why?' she pauses to suck in her breath, `Thought . we . were 'sposed . to be proving' she moans softly as my hand cups her breast, `feminity.' Ranma's eyes close and her head rolls back.

`What, do you think this is,' I catch a hardened nipple between my lips for an instant, `Unfeminine?'

Ranma moans softly once more, `No,' she barely manages to get out. She suddenly closes her eyes, pulling herself backwards out of my grip.

`What?' I reach, stricken.

`Not here, Oyaji'll be back too soon.' Ranma quickly refastens her belt, looking down at her shaking fingers.

`My room. Now,' my voice is strangely hard, unyielding. Ranma leads the way out of the room, carefully checking for any possible observers, apparently seeing none. I follow, my hands on Ranma, stroking the smaller girl's back. We enter my room, glancing quickly around to make sure that there is no one else present, then I lock the door. Instantly Ranma is upon me, callused hands caressing with eager, careful abandon, pressing my skirt up as her fingers make slow circles on my thighs. `Stop a moment,' my voice is soft, husky.

`If you really want me to.' Ranma's fingers stop, still against soft skin and dampening cotton.

`I do.' I grab the smaller girl and throw her onto the bed, halfway across the room.

Ranma makes a strangled squeak when she lands, her fingers going to her shirt, opening the frogs with quick, jerky movements. She has her pants untied by the time I reach the bed, and turns her attention on me as I strip almost as quickly as she had. My dark grey skirt hits the ground at the same time as Ranma's pants, leaving us both only clad in shirts and underwear.

Ranma sits up, her shirt hanging open, and I think I stop breathing. Ranma blinks in amusement, her breasts moving slightly with each breath, and my eyes following the movement exactly, still without breathing. One hand reaches up, pressing aside the shirt, slipping slowly across a nipple, and I still don't think I'm breathing.

`Hey, if you don't start breathin' soon you're gonna pass out.' Ranma leans forward and nibbles lightly at my breast through my shirt, and I finally start breathing again with a sharp gasp.

-

I bite a little harder on Akane's breast, the warm flesh yielding against my teeth. Strong hands wrap themselves in my hair, pulling me more firmly against her. Suddenly I want . . . I don't know what I want. An uncharacteristic moan escapes my throat, and the soft cotton under my lips suddenly isn't enough. I release her for a moment, pull up her shirt, the straps on her bra confusing me for an instant before I get the rear-hook open.

She doesn't help much, tangling my arms in my shirt as she tries to push it back off my shoulders, and I have to pull back from her a little bit to get free of it. Finally the thing is out of the way, and I turn back to Akane, her lovely skin still hidden by her shirt. I grab her left wrist, and carefully unbutton the cuff. I pull that sleeve off her arm, then let her have it back as I turn to the other one. She's worrying at my boxers, shoving them down a little bit on each side one handed, and I finally get the other button open. She doesn't get very far with my boxers, since I've got my legs crossed, but she manages to shove them down far enough to expose the top of my pubic hair. I'd be embarrassed, but I've almost got her other sleeve off, which would let me toss her shirt . . . got it. The shirt joins the clutter on the floor, and I get her bra half off. She takes the hint, lobbing it to the floor as well.

`Hey.' I kiss her again, amazed by the softness of her lips, the strength of her tongue as it wrestles with my own, the sweaty perfection of her skin against my own. I pull her on top of me, reaching down with both hands to grab her underwear, nibbling franticly on her lips as the two of us fight gravity and the suction of wet cotton against damp skin to shove her underwear off. I cup her bare buttocks in my hands, the sweat-damp skin slick against my fingers, and she moans, pressing herself against me harder, her delicious weight making it difficult to breathe.

She shifts position, straddling my waist, resting her chest against mine as she grabs my boxers again, this time forcing them down to my knees, and I manage to wiggle them the rest of the way off. I pull against her again, and this time she sinks all the way down against me, her soft skin sliding wetly on the sheen of sweat between our bodies. I gasp when she shifts her thigh, the muscular mass of it sudden, invasive, between my own. She brings it forward, spreading my thighs, until it brushes against the damp slit of my vulva, lightly teasing. I arch underneath her, pressing my vulva firmly against her thigh, and she gasps as well.

I hold her firmly against me as I bring my own thigh up, gasping at the sudden damp warmth of her. She moans, deep in her throat, and I can no longer keep my hips still, rocking them hard against her thigh. She almost instantly matches my motion with her own, her greater weight pressing me firmly into her bed, her thigh grinding hard against my vulva, the sensation exquisite, almost painful in its intensity.

I look up at her, and there is such an open expression of soft affection on her features, so unlike the hard, driven look she normally wears, or the closed in expression that I would have expected from the textbooks. I force a smile onto my face, drawn by her lovely gaze, and she smiles back, kisses me on my forehead. That soft touch, barely felt, drives me over the edge of orgasm, and I clutch her to me as the warm chemical wash flows through me.

A moment later she orgasms as well, and I carefully hold her against me, the hot still summer air warm against my sides as our sweat drips and mingles. `So, That is what it feels like to get laid.' I murmur into her ear.

\- `So that is what it feels like to get laid,' she murmurs into my ear, her voice deep and husky, her breath hot even in the humid air of late summer. I shiver at the way it makes me feel, the way her belly and chest feel underneath me, the warm wet way they wiggle as she speaks in that wonderful voice, `I think I want to do that again. How about you?'

`Mmmm,' the idea sounds lovely, but I don't think I can move. I shift slightly, and a droplet of sweat falls off my nose, sliding slowly along her cheek before I catch it with my tongue, `I think I'd die if I tried that again right now,' she makes a small, disappointed noise, so I continue, `How about this instead,' and I start slowly kissing my way across her face, nibbling lightly on one perfect cheek, taking that lovely little nose between my lips and nibbling on the bridge of it, then pause to flutter my eyelashes against one sensitive cheek. She moans, loudly enough to scare me for a moment, then starts kissing me back.

-

`I hadn't imagined that it would affect me so much,' Ranma murmurs into my ear, her cheek separated from mine by only the thinnest film of sweat.

`What, getting laid?' I murmur back, glorying in the soft press of her breasts against me, the padded firmness of her hips and thighs.

`Yep.'

`Hmm, you're right, I got a lot more than physical enjoyment out of this.'

`So, how about we modify the deal a little bit?'

`How so?' I ask, bringing one hand up to stroke softly at her neck.

`Mmm, that feels nice. Anyone who squicks us we get double for, and half for anyone we wouldn't sleep wi, make love with again.'

`What does "squick" mean?'

`Makes one squirm. Like my mom, or Kasumi,' Ranma rubs her face firmly against mine.

`Hmm, so that means one gets normal points for someone who "squicks" us but we wouldn't want to make love to again?'

`Yep. Something like that,' Ranma shakes her head slightly.

`What is it?'

`Just thinking. I think the only woman I know who squicks me is my mom.'

`What about Kasumi?' she did just use her as an example, after all.

`She's been hot for my girl body since I got here.'

`Cologne?'

`She's a little wrinkly, but a nice enough old bat.'

`That old woman who throws water on the road?'

`She's got a thing for young women, but she knows I'm just a guy.' Ranma's laugh is warm against my ear, and suddenly I want her again, even if she did just admit to being a total,

`What about guys?'

`Eww. No thank you. I'm sure I can bed enough cute women to make up for it, though,' she laughs again, `Besides, I don't know a single one who'd be worth bedding again, so I'd only get half credit for 'em anyway.'

`What about Doctor Tofu?' I wouldn't mind,

`He wouldn't let me into his bed the first time, so I don't have to worry about it.'

-

`Kasumi?' I ask the tall woman, standing diffidently, dressed only in a Yukata.

`What, Ranma-kun?' her wonderful voice stirs all too familiar feelings, and I can feel my nipples hardening, lubricant beginning once more to dampen my labia. She notices my nipples harden, and blushes ever so faintly, her breathing catching for an instant, then restarting a tiny bit faster than before.

I smile up at her, take the two steps necessary to press my breasts against her lower chest, only then speaking, `You want me, don't you.'

`No. Of course not.' Her voice is weak, unconvincing.

`Oh? These wouldn't indicate that to me,' I stroke one firmly erect nipple through her shirt and bra, leaving a damp spot that will doubtless dry to a faint white stain of salt.

`Ooh,' she murmurs, her hands cupping the back of my head, `I want you so much, but Akane would kill me,' one hand drops, sliding inside of my yukata to cup my breast, trapping my nipple between two fingers and twisting it lightly. I press myself against her, her thigh warm against my mons, even through three layers of clothing.

`So, If I get her to join,' I break off, gasping, as her fingers clutch my breast tightly, convulsively, `it'll be OK?'

`If,' her eyes are wide, her pupils like limpid black pools, `that'd be wonderful.'

I wrap my hands firmly about her luscious form, hug myself tightly against her soft curves, then step back, `Back in a moment.'

-

`What?' I murmur as Ranma shakes me gently awake.

`Got us one.'

`One what?'

`A girl. Really cute one, wants us both at once, too,' she smiles that little girl's smile that I never could resist, even when she's a boy.

`Really?'

`Really,' her lips find my neck, and I stretch the skin alongside my throat, pressing up as she nibbles on it lightly.

`Who?'

`Don't hit me,' she pulls back, `Or her. She's afraid you'd hurt her if you found out.'

`I wouldn't do that!' I lie through my teeth, and from the look on Ranma's face she knows that's exactly what it is.

`Kasumi,' she murmurs, and I notice my fist has balled itself up and thrown itself at her face. I catch it, flatten it out, and stroke my fingers lightly across the soft skin of her cheek, amused by the way her head turns, chasing my fingers, until finally she catches them between her lips, sucking on them lightly. I stare up at her, entranced, stupefied by the way such a simple act makes me feel.

`Ooh,' someone moans, and after a moment I realize it was me, `Sure, Kasumi sounds wonderful. Just don't stop that.' She smiles around my fingers, her tongue continuing its intricate swirling.

After several long moments I pull my fingers back, and she sits back, the yukata clinging to her damp form in a way that suddenly lets me know she's not wearing anything else.

`So, how long has Kasumi lusted after your body?' I ask, after swallowing the lump in my throat.

`I didn't realize it until recently, but since I got here,' I must have looked confused, for she continues, `Textbooks actually do teach useful stuff, sometimes.'

`Oh,' escapes softly from between my lips. She sits up on her knees, pulling me into a tight hug.

`So, shall we go see what fun we can have with Kasumi?' I look down to see the most lascivious look on her face.

`Let's.'

;

`Got her!' Ranma smiles as she addresses Kasumi, pulling me into my older sister's room. I shift self-consciously, pulling my yukata free of my skin, only to have it stick to it again.

`Ooh, so you did,' the look on Kasumi's face is something I'd never thought to see there, ever. Her gaze is frank, appraising, and pleased, all at the same time. Her breath is uneven, and her eyes look strange, although I can't place why.

`I don't think I'd be able to survive doing it again in this heat,' Ranma's voice is regretful, `So, I was thinking maybe we could adjurn to someplace where we could cool off a little bit, like the bathroom. The tile may be a little hard, but,'

`The water is whatever temperature we want, isn't it?' Kasumi finishes for her.

`Good. Let's go,' I can't believe how wet the idea of having my older sister is making me. The thought of that warm, luscious skin covered in goosebumps and cool water, her thighs clamped tightly about my hand, her eyes half-lidded as she urges me on . . .

I catch each of the others by the hand and lead them down to the bath.

I watch as Ranma makes sure, once again, that the signs are out, then braces the door between the laundry room and the bathroom shut. That done she skims out of the yukata in three quick movements, untying the belt, then shrugging her shoulders to drop it on the floor. Kasumi gasps softly behind me, and I wonder if I left the finger-shaped bruises on her right breast. Ranma reaches behind me to catch Kasumi's right hand, placing it firmly on her breast, and I know who inflicted them. I start to turn to berrate my sister for bruising my iinazuke when I notice the soft, pleased look on Ranma's face as Kasumi softly strokes the bruised flesh in a manner that must have really hurt.

I drop my yukata to the floor next to Ranma's, `I think someone here is overdressed.'

`Really? Who could that be?' I stare at my sister, shocked by this unexpected playfulness.

`I don't know, but someone seems to still have on an apron. May I take it off of her?'

`I don't think she'd mind that, if you were slow enough about it,' Kasumi responds to Ranma's gentle words.

Ranma stands on tiptoe, her hands braced lightly against Kasumi's shoulders, and kisses the underside of Kasumi's jaw.

`MMmm,' Kasumi grabs Ranma's shoulders, pulling her tightly against her, trapping the apron between them. Ranma's fingers untie the waist as Kasumi tilts her head back, leaning forward to trap Ranma's lips in a passionate kiss.

I watch, appalled by the way it makes me feel. Kasumi suddenly reaches out, pulling me tightly against them, and I almost gasp at the wonderful sensation, the two lushly curved bodies, one soft, the other hard, pressing against me. I decide to help with getting Kasumi undressed, and carefully pull on the apron, gradually pulling it, and, to a lesser degree, her other clothing, up. I slip the top strap over her head, leaving the apron trapped between their two bodies as they slowly, blatantly, make love in front of me, one naked, the other still clothed.

Kasumi's grip suddenly tightens against me, as her body tenses for a moment, and I gasp as I watch her release flood through her. After a moment she sags, and only my firm grip keeps the two of them upright, as Ranma slowly works to bring Kasumi off again. Kasumi's eyes are wide, softly lit from within, but her grip on me is firm, and her grip on Ranma looks positively cruel. I lean forward, the urge to break Ranma's perfect concentration welling up within me, and I bite her firmly on the neck.

A sudden change in the salty taste startles me, and I pull back, releasing my hold on her neck. I let go of the other two, jerking roughly out of Kasumi's grip as I watch the slow welling redness on Ranma's pale skin, knowing that it is on my lips as well. I back up, rapidly, slamming into the wall with painful force.

-

As my hand continues to stroke Kasumi through her dress, bringing her back up towards orgasm again, I notice Akane leaning forward. I tilt my head to one side as she reaches for my neck, almost moaning as I feel her teeth touch my skin. Instants later I do moan, the sudden warm flare of pain breaking through my defenses as she breaks the skin. Almost instantly she's gone, and I barely get my head around before she slams against the wall with a painful sounding thump.

I sag against Kasumi, all of her hard work on me put to naught, and kiss her shoulder through her dress. Suddenly I feel like crying. I let myself sink to the floor, taking Kasumi's apron with me. After a moment I force myself up.

-

`Akane,' Ranma's voice is at once soft, gentle, and horribly angry, `That was really rude of you.' I nod, not looking up, `If I don't tell you to stop doing something,' her fingers pull up my chin, forcing me to look into her clear, sapphire eyes, `Don't stop. OK?' She suddenly smiles at me, and my apprehension slowly fades. She leans in, kisses me softly, gently, her tongue invading my mouth like it belonged there, somehow.

`You're not mad at me for,' I stroke her neck softly, only realizing when she moans that it must hurt quite a lot.

`No. If you hadn't let go,' Ranma looks down, almost embarrassed, `You'da probably brought me to orgasm.'

That does it, I start giggling.

`What?' Ranma smiles at me, taking the bite from her incredulous word.

`You don't seem the type to use clinical terms.'

Her puzzled face keeps me giggling as she replies, `What else would I use? Can't very well go 'round using the slang the boys use, makes my skin crawl.'

Her flat words calm me quickly, so I turn to Kasumi, who is kneeling next to us, still clothed, `Someone is still overdressed.'

`So she is.' Ranma slips around behind Kasumi, the warm sheen of sweat glistening on her skin shining in the light, making her seem even more beautiful than she had earlier. Quick, sure fingers have button undone and zipper drawn down to Kasumi's hips in moments, and I pull the dress forward off her shoulders, then draw off her bra after Ranma undoes the rear hook.

She stands, Ranma's fingers tucked under the waist of her underwear, and I press my face to treasure revealed when Ranma pulls them down, flicking the sweet nub of her clit with my tongue, glorying in the feel of power it gives me. I catch her as she sags against me, holding her soft, firm hips in my hands as her fingers tangle in my hair.

I nip it lightly, pleased by the tighter pull and forward thrust of her hips, and continue to lick the nub, which seems to throb against my lips. After a few caressing strokes of my tongue I nip at it again, and she gasps, going rigid against me, a warm rush of her juices flowing down my face. I stroke her slowly, firmly with my tongue, then begin to speed up again after a moment. At this she pulls me away.

`I think I'm a little warm. We did come here for the ready availability of cold water, didn't we?' Ranma seems to take the hint, turning the shower attachment on, carefully testing the water against her hand, then bringing it over and sluicing Kasumi down with it.

She then proceeds to slowly wash it over her front, caressing herself with one hand as she directs the flow of water with the other, and I can feel my patience wavering as I watch. Kasumi, apparently, has no patience, for she tackles Ranma before she's even finished with her bruised right breast, and I notice with annoyance that the bruises, not even half an hour old, have already faded to a pale red that indicates they're almost healed. Ranma somehow manages to keep her head from smacking against the tile, which would doubtless be bad for the tile, and her fingers wind with wanton abandon into Kasumi's hair, pulling her tightly against that breast.

I watch with fascination as Kasumi bites hard, not quite breaking the skin, but hard enough that I'd be screaming in pain. Ranma's almost screaming, but it definitely isn't pain. Kasumi turns to the other breast, and I stare at the overlapping pattern of teeth marks on Ranma's breast, shocked at Kasumi's viciousness, then suddenly Ranma does scream, then goes limp against the floor, her face soft with contentment, her fingers stroking Kasumi's hair with gentle strength. There are three perfect set of teeth marks on Ranma's left breast, concentric about her nipple, and I shudder at the sight, the thought.

Ranma just moans, softly, `More, please, Kasumi.'

I slink over to them, run the water through my hair, then across my sweaty flesh, amazed to feel cool for the first time in hours. That accomplished, I hook the shower head back onto its upper hook, so it flows down over the three of us.

`More, you say?' I smile wickedly, pleased to note that the bite on her neck has stopped bleeding. I lean across the both of them, plant my lips against her throat, then slowly lick my way over to the bite, sucking lightly at the sticky, partly dried blood, then work my way down her shoulder, up Kasumi's, and then down Kasumi's back to Ranma's belly again. Both of them are gasping lightly by the time I reach Ranma's cute little patch of curly hair, then Ranma grabs my butt hard as I sink my tongue into her, flicking it over her cute little clit before sliding it in as far as it will go, the salty taste of her juices so different from either the tang of her blood, the sharp sweetness of her sweat, different even from Kasumi's juices. She gasps, her hips rocking up against me, and I smile, my lips still pressed to her petals.

Ranma's hand slips off my butt, and Kasumi's soft hands wrap about my hips, lifting me, holding me, swinging my legs over her shoulders. I stop what I'm doing to look, shocked by the thought of what I see Kasumi doing, then Ranma's moan of protest makes me turn back to my self appointed task, even as Kasumi's tongue slips between my lips and across my clit, stroking the bundle of nerves in a manner that I find most, enjoyable.

I feel like I'm gonna come just from that first touch, but I don't, and I somehow manage a new rhythm, my mouth full of Ranma's tender flesh, determined not to let her down. Kasumi's tongue against me goads me on, and I suck harder against Ranma's lovely little clit, the tiny thing seeming to jump against me, and I fight down the urge to bite it. She might like it, but . . . I give it a firm nip, unsure of my own strength, and she comes suddenly, bathing my face in juice, almost getting it up my nose, and I wonder about the two girls I'm with. I never get this wet . . . Kasumi groans behind me, biting my clit as she falls over sideways, pulling me down with her, and when I look up at her her face is glistening with a different sheen than water.

I turn myself around, start kissing my beautiful eldest sister's face, confirming my dreadful suspicion.

-

After a nice long lukewarm soak we go our separate ways.

I contemplate who might be willing, then dress once more. This time I dig out the soft filmy white fabric that makes up the traditional undergarment for a yukata, then pull my yukata on over it, sure that I'll suffer for it later, because the stuff is just dreadful to wear. But it looks really nice, and keeps sweat from showing on the yukata, so.

Who might be willing. Looking back I suddenly remember the way Nabiki groped me when I first got here, the tender, almost enthralled way her fingers kept coming back, kept stroking my breasts. Gathering myself up I go to Nabiki's door, knock, then let myself in. She's sitting up in her bed, her shorts a little bit out of place, but zipped and buttoned, and her face totally flushed. Emboldened by my discovery I walk over, forced to quick ladylike steps by the tight hadagi.[This is a Japanese generic for underwear; there is a specific for this kind, but I can't remember it for the life of me, so --S]

`No. I'm not going to have sex with you.' I blink at her, she suddenly seems even more flushed, and her voice isn't steady, `I'm also not going to have sex with you and Akane. I most definitely am not going to have sex with you, Akane, and Kasumi!' Her voice gets ever more intense, but she doesn't raise the volume.

I stroke my knuckles along the edge of my jaw, `Are you,' I continue down, along the outer flap of my yukata, over my right breast, managing to suppress the shudder that tries to escape as my fingers pass over the bruised flesh, `Sure?'

`Yes!' she snaps, her voice strained, one of her hands seemingly trying to sneak into her shorts, the other almost reaching for me.

`OK,' I smile, lean forward and kiss her lightly on the cheek, then turn and slither to the door on quickly moving feet. Once there I turn around, pleased to see her hand has risen to touch her cheek, `Just tell me if you change your mind.' I smile at her again, and this time she smiles back.

I shut the door behind me, turn, and stot down the stairs, knees straight, just using my ankles to bounce my way from step to step. Once down I start towards the door, wondering who might be a good catch, since Saotome Ranma never looses a challenge, no matter how silly.

Whell, I think to myself, I only have one person who the thought of having, making love too squicks me. Female person, I make a face, at least.

That decided I slip on a pair of zouri, and head out the door.

;

`Mother,' I greet her when she opens the door, smiling up at her.

`Ranma! Come in, come in,' she waits for me to bounce up the last step, since I really don't think I can manage it properly in this outfit, then closes the door behind me. `That isn't the most ladylike way of managing steps,' she almost frowns at me.

I smile back, `I know. I thought maybe you could help me with that and some other things. I can barely walk in this, let alone manage a flight of steps.'

She smiles at me, and gestures for me to precede her into the house. The zouri are quickly discarded, and I bounce up into the house proper. After a moment she says, `Well, you've got the walk down, that "I don't really have feet" glide.' I stop when I get to the sitting room, and she quickly gestures me to sit, `Would you like some tea or something?'

`Tea would be nice, it'll help with what I want to ask you.' She glides off, and I notice what she means, the way she just seems to float across the floor. She wafts back into the room with a small teapot and two cups on a tray, which she sets on the low table in front of us.

`What did you want to ask?' she pours us both tea, me first, then herself.

`Well,' I look down, letting the embarrassment color my cheeks, `I was hoping you could help teach me something,' I take a quick sip of my tea.

`And it has to do with being ladylike?' she looks at me over the rim of her teacup.

`Not directly, no.' I look down, staring at my tea.

`Then does it have to do with being manly?'

I nod, reluctantly.

`Could you tell me what it is?'

I take a deep, calming breath, let it out again, then look up into my mother's eyes, `I don't know if I could,' my courage fails a moment, and I look down, taking a sip of my tea, then continue without looking up, `properly please a woman.'

`And you came to me because?' her voice is remarkably steady.

`I thought you might be able to teach me, being older and wiser and all.'

She just breaks out laughing, so I look up at her. She apparently had the foresight to set down her teacup, for it is on the table and she's rolling on the floor, laughing herself green. I set my teacup down and hurry over to her, gathering her up and patting her back as she breathes raggedly, trying to recover around bursts of laughter and coughing.

`What's so funny?' I ask, genuinely baffled.

`That you would think I've any experience.'

`Well, you must have some. I mean, I'm here, right?'

That sets her off again, and she clings to me tightly, rolling her face against my breasts as she laughs so hard tears flow from her eyes. I fight down the winces as she repeatedly stretches the bruised flesh in ways that would be interesting if someone else were doing it, or the situation were a little different.

`I take it my father is not much of a lover, then,' I say, deadpan.

`Ain't that the truth!' she gasps, getting herself back under control again. I stroke her cheek lightly with my knuckles, my other hand stroking her side from her shoulder blade down her hip to her thigh. She gasps, her eyes going wide, her pupils dilating.

`So, you don't have anything you would like to teach me?'

`Why are you a girl, if I'm to teach you about manly things?'

`It would be easier to follow the teachings if both of us have the same parts, wouldn't it?'

`Perhaps,' she murmurs, her lips slightly parted, and her breathing ragged, but for an entirely different reason, this time. I lean forward, drawing her face up, and kiss her softly on the lips.

`Also, like this, nothing can happen that we can't deny,' I murmur, stroking one hand over her bosom through her kimono.

`That is true,' she murmurs, her pupils big, her irises darkened almost to match, `Doesn't this bother you?' she looks down as her hands stroke my sides, and my breath draws in with a hiss.

`No, it feels wonderful,' I kiss her forehead, her nose, then her lips in turn as her face rises again.

`That I'm your mother.'

`I hardly know you,' she looks a little stricken at my words, but they are the truth, `So that hardly comes into play, we're both girls, so that doesn't come into play, and you're very desirable, so I'm willing to go as far as you want.'

She smiles at me, nibbling lightly at my jaw, `Well, that's pretty far, are you sure?'

`I won't back down,' I nibble at her neck, feeling the tight ridge of muscle at the back squirm under my teeth, and she umbles softly, shifting to press it further into my mouth, so I bite it a little harder. She moans, her arms closing about me convulsively, `You like pain too?'

`Too? So you have that trait as well?' one of her hands grabs a big pinch of my neck, twists it cruelly, and I sag, boneless, into her arms, a happy moan fighting its way out my throat.

`Yes,' I mumble around my mouthful of neck.

-

After our bath, rather cool in deference to the heat of the day and Ranma's desire to remain female, we all go our separate ways. I notice Ranma, dressed once more in a yukata, but this time with the proper hadagi under it, float into Nabiki's room. I trail after her, hearing the strange resonance in Nabiki's voice as she declares her lack of intent, and the calm acceptance in Ranma's voice. I duck back into my room as Ranma's almost silent steps approach the door.

I listen as she bounces down the steps, her pace remarkably light for my friend who never looses, seeing as Nabiki turned her down. Maybe she thinks Nabiki will change her mind.

Hmmm. Speaking of minds, Ranma's cute iinazuke has a good one. Maybe I could corrupt it. A smile escapes at the thought, and I hurriedly get ready for the chase. Tight black shirt. Sheer black stockings, rather than pantyhose. Long black skirt. Black patent leather shoes, and long black gloves to complete the look. I smirk at the almost ridiculous sight in the mirror, pull out my only pair of sunglasses, then laugh, since they push it over that edge. I lob them back onto the table, spin around to admire the look, then set out, my shoes in hand. I slip them on in the genkan, then yell, `Ittekimasu!'

`Itterashai!' Kasumi calls from somewhere inside.

-

`Welcome . . .' Ukyou's voice chokes off as she recognizes who walked in the door.

`Hello!' I greet her happily, pleased by the way her eyes seem unable to leave my form, traveling up and down in convulsive jerks.

`What's up, Akane-chan?' she manages, her voice almost hoarse-sounding, it's so husky.

`I thought I'd come visit the kawaii iinazuke,' I smile at her, sitting down at the counter. I reach over the grill, catch her right hand, and draw it to my lips, kissing it gently, but with blatant intent.

She jerks it back, glares at her knuckles, then wipes them on her tights, `What can I get you?'

I can't let such a great straight line pass, `Anything you want,' I smile, drawing one hand across my cheek and over my lips, `Oh, you meant food,' I glance over her head at the menu, `A shrimp special, I think.'

`Hai, O-machii,' she murmurs, blinking, then busies herself at the grill. Moments later there's an okonomiyaki in front of me.

I let a disappointed look onto my face at the sight, `What, no messages of love or hatred for me?'

`I don't,' she draws the plate back, works with the sauce a moment, then hands it back, `This better?'

I read the message, `Yes,' I say, looking her in the eye so that she'll know I mean to answer both, rather than just the verbal question.

`When?' she looks startled, like she didn't expect the word to come out of her mouth.

`I'm free until late this evening. I should warn you that I haven't been out dancing before.'

`Ever?' she sounds appalled, somehow, as If I've been deprived.

`Ever. Is it all that much fun?' I ask.

`It's almost the most fun one can have with clothes on, although a lot of girls would tell you that it's more fun than most of the stuff one can do with one's clothes off, too,' she smiles at me, and I suddenly remember that she went to an all-boys school for a long while.

`I wouldn't be so sure of that,' I smile at her, and am treated to the sight of her doing a double take at me.

`Who?' she asks.

I glance around the shop, noticing all of the listeners, `Later.'

She noticed my glance, and nods. I finish the okonomiyaki, and when I look up I notice that Konatsu has taken over the grill, and then she reappears dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a long-sleeved white t-shirt. She looks unbelievably handsome in it, and just about everyone in the room sways at the sight.

She presents her arm to me, `My lady,' she murmurs, her voice deeper than normal, and I take her arm, setting my fingers lightly against her shirt. After a couple steps she stops, `A moment,' she says, carefully lifting my fingers off her arm. She gathers her bandoleer and spatulas, sliding the big one into its hook on her back, then presents her arm again.

I slip my fingers onto it, liking the contrast between my black gloves and the whiteness of her shirt. `Do you take girls out like this often?'

`Not anymore. Last year it was a little different.'

I look up at her, and she smiles back, the expression softening her face somehow. I blush, look down, `How so?'

`I was in an all boys school, y'know? I couldn't let anyone suspect, since I wouldn't get tuition or board back if they kicked me out, so I would take the occasional girl out. Most of them knew I was a girl, and were OK with that, but a couple of them thought I was just a wonderful guy,' there's something dark about her tone, and I suddenly want to comfort her.

`Well, you are, even if you are a girl as well,' we pause at a street corner, so I take the chance to kiss her. Her lips are soft, like Ranma's, full of controlled power. She tastes different, a tiny hint of astringent soap over her own sweet taste, and I rub myself playfully against her front, noticing the thin softness in her pants, and the flatness of her bound chest, `You pass really well. If I didn't know better, I could almost think you were a real boy!' I smile at her to take the sting from my words, the softly dazed look on her face making me want her so badly. I shake myself, appalled by the way my thoughts have turned, but wanting the tall girl anyway.

`Some people would say the same about you, sometimes,' she smirks at me, and I almost flare up at her.

Instead, I kiss her again, this time giving in to the urge, slipping my tongue between her lips, supporting myself on the tips of my toes and by my arms about her neck. This provokes her to an unexpected passion, and her lips are joined by her hands stroking with controlled power down my back, pulling me tightly against her.

After a moment she pulls back, `We should get out of here, before someone comes along.' I blink at the appalling thought of Kunou showing up now.

`That would not be good. We might mess up your nice clothes,' I breathe softly at her, stroking her firm, flat belly through her shirt.

`That would be horrible, I'm sure,' she banters back, presenting her arm again.

-

This time I pay attention as she goes up the stairs ahead of me, and I follow her example, managing the steps without killing myself, or looking too silly. She turns at the door to a room, gesturing me inside ahead of her. I bow slightly to her as I go through, and she follows, her presence warm against my back. I make a move to help when she begins to lay out a futon, `No, don't. I want to do this myself, OK?' I nod acceptance, stepping out of the way.

After a moment she is finished, and sits herself in seiza by the bed, `Come over here.' I drift rapidly over, and her hands make quick work of my obi, folding it carefully before leaning over and setting it out of the way. My yukata joins it quickly, followed by the hadagi, and she smiles before nipping at my belly.

She pulls back, and her appraising glance suddenly makes me conscious of the fact that while she is still fully clothed I'm standing before her in nothing more than a pair of tabi, `So you were having some fun earlier?' her gaze draws mine to the pale bruises on my breasts, which retain their overlapping almost circular shapes.

`Yes. Kasumi gave me most of these.'

`Really?' she smiles up at me, `My son is so manly.'

I almost boggle at the words, `I guess.' I shake my head, drop into seiza in front of her, and set to work on her obi, adding it to the pile, `I think someone here is overdressed, and if she doesn't stand up she'll stay that way.'

Nodoka laughs, standing. I follow the movements I just watched, carefully stripping off her kimono, folding it, then adding it to the pile. Her hadagi follows, leaving her clad in just bra, briefs, and tabi, `Isn't that ridiculously hot like that?' I ask, my head pressed against her breasts as I work the hook on her bra, then pull it off forward over her arms.

`What do you mean?'

`The hadagi is a perfectly adequate set of underwear all by its lonesome, right?' I pull her briefs down, taking in the warm smell of her arousal, kissing her sweat-damp pubic hair.

`Perhaps, but it just doesn't seem proper,' her voice drops to nothing as I kiss my way down the crease between her thigh and mons, finally trailing off to a faint moan as I plant a firm kiss against her labia.

I sit back again, touching each of her ankles in turn to get her to step out of her briefs, then toss the damp cotton on top of her bra, `Why? Happosai doesn't have any interest in the old style. Wearing a bra and briefs just seems like askin' for it, y'know?' I bend forward, nibbling at her calf as I work the hooks at the back of her tabi, picking up each of her feet in turn to get them off.

`Maybe,' she drops to her knees in front of me, exposed in all her naked glory, and suddenly I'm glad that I barely know this gorgeous woman, `Are you still sure about this?'

`If you want out, just say the word and I'll get dressed and never mention it, unless you bring it up, again,' I look down at my hands, palm up on my bare knees, half hoping she'll bail, half fearing.

Suddenly I'm flying through the air, landing on the futon with a dull thud. A warm, soft body lands on top of me, and a hard thigh presses down between my legs with painful force. I moan, shock and pain washing from my abused breasts, staring up at her as she begins working her thigh between my legs, which draw up half-instinctually, spreading to give her better access. I gasp when my thigh comes into contact with her well lubricated vulva, and press firmly against it.

She grinds her thigh even more fiercely between my own, and I almost ask her to back off, the feeling is so intense that I almost can't enjoy it, then, suddenly, I'm orgasming underneath her, the bruises throbbing in time to the pressing of her thigh against my vulva, then she's gasping weakly on top of me, her body shaking with the force of her orgasm.

`Goodness,' she breathes softly into my ear, `That's the first time I've had sex with another person in fifteen years.'

I gape at the thought, `What? How?'

`Your father's ideas of manliness are a little different than mine.' she nuzzles against my neck, tonguing the new scar of Akane's bite with careful insistence, `Where did you get this?'

`Akane bit me,' I smile, remembering the pleasant rush that accompanied the pain, `and it would have been very nice, but she panicked and cracked her head on the wall pulling away from me.'

`That wasn't very nice of her,' she nibbles lightly at the tendon up the front corner of my neck, pressing it firmly between her teeth, then shifts back, grabbing my deltoid where it slips up my neck to the back of my head, nibbling the tense muscle, then biting it firmly. I groan, twisting half sideways to give her better access.

She suddenly turns me over onto my belly, shifting to straddle my hips, and I gasp in sudden shock as she begins to work over the muscles of my back, somehow managing to make each one scream in painful shock before relaxing into a blissful lassitude. After mere moments I'm floating, again, in a cloud of bliss, only this time it feels like it could last forever.

`Wow.' I manage after a long time. She bites the back of my neck lightly, then climbs off. I moan my distress as her lovely weight leaves, subsiding when she takes my my left calf in her hand, her other hand working the hooks on my tabi. Moments later she has both of them off, and she taps my side, prompting me to roll over. I somehow manage, feeling boneless, and I smile up at her beautiful form.

`Let's try something a little different, now,' she smiles, stroking my vulva with a gentle finger.

`Please,' I somehow manage to gasp, enthralled by the way she's making me feel.

`You sure?' she asks, her finger sliding between my labia, the tip disappearing into the folds.

`Yes,' I gaze up at her with what I hope are pleading eyes, `please.'

`OK,' she presses more of her finger between my labia, and I can feel it sliding inside of me. She strokes it out, the strange feeling drawing back to the familiar feel of a finger between my labia, then slides it into me a little further, most of her finger disappearing between my labia, the pleasantly slick sensation sliding up into me, feeling almost like she's reaching my ribcage, although I know that's blatantly impossible. She brings it out again, not quite as far this time, and slips it back in, holding her other fingers out of the way with her thumb, my legs, I note suddenly, pulled wide, almost flat against the sheet. I groan at the pleasant sensation, alternately glancing down at where her finger is slowly sliding in and out of my vagina and staring into her soft, tender eyes.

Her other hand comes to rest upon my mons, her thumb reaching between my labia to stroke my clitoris in soft counterpoint to her penetrating finger, and an instant later it's more than enough, and I orgasm, the warm chemical bath flooding through my veins, all of my muscles tensing again, my body shaking hard, then slowly relaxing in a series of soft, hard flashes of sensation, timed with, I note distractedly, both her thumb against my clitoris and her slow strokes in and out of my vagina.

`So tight,' she murmurs, then continues in a slightly louder voice, `Unlike your dear mother.'

`Why don't I believe you?' I grab her the instant she withdraws her fingers, reversing our positions in a flurry of movement. I smile down at her, suddenly full of the desire to take her, make this lovely woman somehow mine. *She is your mother* I force the thought down, and the faintly queasy feeling it brought. I kiss my way down her soft throat, across her full bosom, pausing to suck and nibble at each of her nipples, then continuing down her belly, taking her clitoris between my teeth for a moment, tasting the pleasant salty taste of her lubricant for the first time. The drop of lubricant trying to fall off the tip of my chin shows me that she is quite ready, and I slip a single finger between her labia, stroking it across her clitoris, across slick flesh, over the faint feeling of her urethra, then stroking slowly around the damp, lubricating edge of her vagina.

She gasps, rocking her hips against my hand, as I press my finger slowly into her tight, slick depths, shocked by how short my finger feels. She rocks her hips in time with my steady strokes, squeezing my finger in a powerful, steady grip. `More,' she says, between faint gasps.

`More what?'

`More of you, more of your fingers,' she manages, the sentence almost sounding like a single long word. I pull my finger out, press my middle finger along side it, and slide them both back in, slowly penetrating her gloriously hot, slick depths.

`More,' she pleads again. I add my ring finger, suddenly glad I'd filed all of my fingernails to a smooth uniform shortness. I gasp, pressing my face against her belly, feeling like she could bring me to orgasm with just the tight clench of her vagina about my fingers. I stroke my clitoris with quick, jagged movements, most of my attention on maintaining a steady rhythm for the lovely woman gasping beneath me, and ride out the warm chemical flare, keeping my fingers still on my clitoris, distractedly noticing that this time the aftershocks are timed with my heartbeat.

A moment later I stroke her clitoris with my free thumb, still, I absently note, slick with my own lubricant. She goes stiff, orgasm flashing through her body, and I pull back a moment to watch, maintaining a slightly slower rhythm as the aftershocks flare through her, then extract my fingers.

She catches my hand, pulling it up to her lips, sucking lightly, cleaning her lubricant off my fingers with evident enjoyment. After a moment she lets them fall from her lips, and she smiles up at me, her expression soft, smooth, content in a way I've never seen on her face before.

`Did that help any?' a faint smile quirks her lips, then she sighs, `Michiko is still right, after one's had a woman no man measures up.'

`Oh, I wouldn't be quite so sure. I'm sure one could be taught, if one went that way.'

`And you don't?'

`Why would I when I have so many kind, sweet, beautiful women throwing themselves at me?' I tease gently, smiling down at her, then work my hands under her shoulders, and kiss her on the lips, totally sated for a moment.

Her yawn startles me for a moment. `I'm so tired,' she murmurs, as her breath slows, steadies, and in a moment she's completely asleep underneath me.

I let my eyes fall shut, and doze off as well, the air of the darkening room not too unpleasantly cool against my back, and Nodoka's body warm underneath me.

-

`So, how do you like it so far?' Ukyou asks, breathing hard, her voice raised to be heard over the music.

I glance around the room, the pounding beat of a foreign rock and roll song shaking my guts in a pleasant manner, taking in the dancing couples, comforted by the sheer number of same sex pairs, `It's wonderful! Do you come here often!?' I yell back.

`No! I don't have anyone I could bring!'

`What about Ranma!?'

`Are you kidding?! He'd freak out, and you guys would come start a fight, and then I'd never be allowed back in here again!'

I think about that, my body half-instinctively matching its moves to hers, the beat a warm thread connecting us both, `Maybe you're right about the second, but I think she'd love it!'

`Really?! What makes you say that?!'

`I'll tell you later!'

The next song is something called a "swing tune" and, from the way the few dancers still on the floor are throwing each other about, I can see why, `Hey,' I lean towards Ukyou's ear, `That looks like fun.'

`It might be, but I've no idea how to do it.'

`Let's just go out there and make fools of ourselves, then.' I take her hand and drag her back onto the dance floor.

`Hey, are you OK?' Ukyou's kneeling on the floor next to me, and my head is aching.

`I think so. What happened?'

`What do you remember last?'

`I dragged you out onto the floor for that "swing tune," and you were smiling a most luscious smile at me.'

`Well, we danced for another six songs, then you asked me to try and swing you around by the knees, and you bonked your head really hard against the ground.'

`Fuck. And I must have been having fun, too,' I pull her face down for a kiss, ignoring the stabbing pains in my head, `I guess we'd better break it off and go see Doctor Tofu. I'm sorry 'bout this, I shoulda been more careful.'

`I was the person swinging you, I should have been more careful.'

`OK, we both should have been more careful, and I'm sorry about cutting your evening short like this.'

`Don't worry 'bout it. If you hadn't come by I wouldn't even had as much fun as we did,' she helps me to my feet, and supports me with an arm about my shoulders as we walk to the train station.

She wakes me up when we get to the proper station, helps me off the train, and supports me all the way to Doctor Tofu's clinic.

`Akane-chan, Ukyou-kun, what happened?' he looks us both over quickly, noting the absence of the normal wear and tear of a fight.

`We were out dancing, and I bonked my head against the concrete dance floor.'

`Let me see,' he feels my head, and I wince when he touches the painful spot on the back of my head, then he flashes a light in my eyes, and asks me a couple questions about my memories.

`Well, I don't think you're very likely to ever get the lost memories back. When memories are lost before they make the transition from short term to long term storage they are rarely recovered.'

`I thought as much,' I smile sadly, `What I can remember was so much fun, too.'

`But the good news is you only have a very mild concussion, so if you promise to stay around people who know what to watch for with them,' he looks meaningfully at Ukyou, `I can let you go home.'

`Thanks, Doctor Tofu!' I beam at him, glad that the damage wasn't worse.

`So, will you come home with me?' I ask Ukyou as she helps me out of the clinic.

`Sure. I'll need to call and let Konatsu know what's happened, though.'

`I'll show you the phone when we get home,' I let my head sag over against her shoulder, a warm, safe, peaceful feeling filling my bones.

;

`Hey, you want me to leave?' Ukyou asks, looking rather embarrassed as I begin pulling my gloves off.

`No,' I turn fully to face her, the nylon of my stockings feeling strange between my feet and the floor, `I want you to watch.' I toss one glove at her, amused by the poleaxed look on her face. It drapes softly across her head, and she impatiently brushes it out of her face. I smirk softly, pleased by the response, and lift my skirt to undo the suspender clips on my right stocking. I roll it down my thigh, watching her watch me through my eyelashes, pleased by the way she stands, stock-still, unable to move. I stretch it back out again, the sheer black fabric light, slightly salty-feeling, with a faint tang of sweat to it in my hands. I toss it onto Ukyou, and she almost falls down, she sways so much. I gulp, shocked by how much I want her, and reach with unsteady hands to lift the other side of my skirt.

Before I can get the first clip undone, she pushes me back onto my bed, and I momentarily wonder if I locked the door. Her fingers are so gentle against my skin, the hard, callused skin rough against the smooth nylon of my stocking, and I worry for a faint instant that she'll make it run. She drops it on the floor, then turns back to me, shoving my skirt up to expose my panties.

`Do you want me?' she asks, hesitating, her hands on my hips.

`Yes, please, take me,' I beg, my skin on fire from her touch.

`Lay back,' she tells me, and I do. Her hands pull my panties down, dropping them into the small pile of cloth on the floor.

I moan when her hands slip through my pubic hair, soft, caressing, and she kisses the inside of one of my thighs. I rock my hips towards her face, wanting to feel that skilled tongue against something more sensitive than my face.

`Unh um,' she murmurs, drawing one finger, her right index, down my slit, carefully tracing the outer lips. After a moment I realize they are spreading under the contact, and gasp, shocked by the knowledge, somehow not interrupting the steady, soft, pleased moan escaping my throat despite my best efforts. She shifts her finger to the inner lips, and I can't take it any more, grabbing her wrist with both hands and trying to press her finger where I desperately want it.

`Nope, you have to ask,' she says, keeping her finger on its steady path along my inner lips, brushing lightly across the smooth delicate flesh.

I use my grip on her wrist to pull myself closer to her, brushing her finger over my clit with a sudden frantic stroke, and my whole body jerks in reaction.

`Nuh uh, what did I tell you?' she asks, pulling her hand up and away from my dripping need. *I'll need to wash this skirt* flashes through my mind, and I laugh out loud.

`I want you inside of me,' I gasp, the laughter dying as quickly as it formed, `I need you inside of me,' then moan as her finger slips into my eager passage, sliding into me in a single long stroke than ends with her knuckles pressed against my outer lips, and I let go of her wrist as she slowly begins to fuck me with one glorious finger. I shake, my hips rocking franticly, trying to make her increase her slow, even pace.

`Slow,' she murmurs, pressing down on one hip with her hand, sliding up next to me on the bed, her finger almost filling my world as she slowly, oh so slowly, strokes it back and forth inside of me, the pressure building up at an excruciating pace, seeming like it will never reach that peak needed to drive me over.

`Slow,' she murmurs again, gently controlling the rocking of my hips, her own breath uneven, her eyes soft as they look down on me. I squirm at the warm happiness her gaze gives me, the knowledge that she's my friend, that I can make her stop if I really want to keeping me from abject terror at the way she makes me feel. Suddenly she leans down, her lips soft against my own, and I come with shattering force, completely at her mercy.

`Thank you,' I murmur, holding her close, the sock in her trousers pressing against my bare thigh, my lips almost touching her neck. I kiss that lovely neck softly, carefully, glorying in the soft salty taste of her.

She gets up, ignoring my protesting moans, and fishes a penlight out of somewhere. She flashes it in my eyes, waving her hands about my face and shifting it back and forth, then smiles.

`It looks like you're OK now. It's a good thing you're a martial artist, most people would have been in the hospital for days with a clout like that. What were you thinking, anyway?'

`Probably something like, "my but she looks so pretty *konk*,"' I giggle, and she smiles back at me. I get up, check to make sure I'm not too obviously rumpled, and look up into her eyes, `do you have to go?'

`Yeah, Konatsu doesn't like to close all by himself.'

`OK,' I stretch up to kiss her on the lips, loving the feel of her strong body against me. Her arms hold me tight for a moment, then she steps back.

I walk her to the gate, wave to her as she walks off, then return to my room.

I set out my laundry for Kasumi, thinking that I probably should try to help her somehow, since I know she doesn't let anyone mess with the washing machine, ever since Nabiki almost killed it washing a ball of yarn. I return to my room, the humid heat already getting to me again, my flannel pajamas sticking to me as I walk.

I flop onto my bed, looking out the window at the deep grey sky, which is dark as it gets at night. A sudden darker obstruction appears, and knocks at my window.

`Hello,' I say, opening the window to reveal my iinazuke hanging upside down, one hand still raised to knock, once more in her normal clothing.

`I just realized something,' she says softly, looking up, which would be down if she was right side up, `I am a pervert.'

`Why do you say that?'

`I just seduced my mother,' her face shows her confusion, `and I really enjoyed it.'

`Well, I won't say that makes you a pervert,' I gather her in my arms, pulling her in through the window. I carry her across the room and lay her on my bed, then straddle her hips, looking down at her flushed face, `Since I seduced my sister this afternoon, and that would make _me_ a pervert by that definition.'

`OK,' she gasps, her breathing remarkably ragged, `then what am I?'

`My beloved iinazuke,' I lean forward, kiss her soft, open lips, plundering her mouth with my tongue.

Her hands open my pajama bottoms, slide down my back, cupping my buttocks, `And you are not wearing any underwear because?' she asks, swirling slow distracting circles with her fingers.

`Because I just got back from dancing with your kawaii iinazuke, and she proved herself to be a very skilled lover.'

`Oh?' her fingers slip around, one hand coming to rest against my back, pulling me tightly against her chest, the other sliding through my short hairs to stroke my clit with tender fingers.

`Indeed,' I manage, before her insistent fingers capture all of my attention.

-

Her clitoris is hard, engorged, against my fingers, and she gasps softly, `Indeed,' before she falls limp against me, her hips rocking time to her frantic breathing, and she moans softly against my neck, hot breath cooling as it touches my sweat.

A terribly short time later she orgasms, her hips going still against my fingers, and murmurs, `Aishiteru yo,' softly, her head tilted so her breath bathes my ear. Her breathing slows, and after a moment I realize she's fallen asleep. I contemplate being frustrated for a moment, then decide I have had way too much today to event think about being upset, carefully make sure her pajama bottoms are done up, then let myself drift off, lulled by the lovely squished feeling.

*_*


	4. Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harem Talk

Genom Research Presents A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day Two: Harem Talk

I wake at dawn, blink up at Akane, then just watch her sleep, all the anger and fear gone from her expression, just a totally peaceful look. I wonder for a moment why she slept so peacefully last night, since I know she normally sleeps like an avalanche. I dismiss the thought as irrelevant, and cuddle her a little closer.

She wakes slowly, a smile forming on her lips as she realizes where she is, `Hey,' she kisses me on the forehead.

`Hey,' I say back, whipping my head around to steal a peck on her chin.

`What are we going to do?'

`About?' I ask, confused.

`I like this. I like kissing Ukyou a lot better than hitting her. I liked making love to Kasumi. I love making love to you,' she kisses me again, slipping her tongue between my lips. Her mouth tastes almost like mine, of strange decomposing things, but there is a faint taste of her to it as well. I suck hard on her tongue, and she moans into my mouth.

`And?' I ask, when I let her have her tongue back.

`What are we going to do when we get done with this challenge?'

`We could just keep them.'

`Like the Moroboshi household?' she asks, referencing the family in a TV drama even I've seen.

`Perhaps. If we're going to keep them we'll need to keep them happy, too.'

`That sounds difficult,' her tone and the smirk on her face belie her words.

`Is that what you want?'

She thinks a moment, `Yes, that's what I want.'

`OK,' I nuzzle against her neck, and she cuddles me tightly, the creaking of my bones telling me that I'm safe.

-

`Hey, Akane?' Yuka asks, smiling at me in that way, I think I must now admit, that always makes my heart flutter and sparks flares of desire.

`What?' I ask, stepping into her personal space, setting one hand on her hip.

`Um,' she stops, her face flushed, and leans forward just a little bit, brushing her chest against mine, `I can't remember.'

`Hmm. Maybe if we were to find someplace a little more private it would come back to you?' I ask her, stepping back without taking my hand off her hip.

`Uh, maybe,' she allows, turning to lead the way out of the room. I follow her, knowing that this is not a good idea, but following anyway.

She leads me to the restroom, and once inside turns, pressing into my personal space, then backing me against one of the sinks. With a careful, light, touch she catches my face, then leans in and kisses me. I pull her close, open my lips to let her tongue into my mouth.

When, a few moments later, she stops to catch her breath, I protest softly, `This is not a safe place to do this kind of thing.'

`Perhaps not, but can you think of a better one?' she asks, pulling me backwards into one of the stalls. I let a flash of gratitude out, that the principal is weird, and we have western-style restrooms.

`No,' I breathe, my heart racing so fast that I can barely see straight.

`Too bad,' she murmurs back, then nibbles lightly at my jaw, `I wanted to have you someplace more romantic than this.'

`This is quite exciting, at least,' I allow, pulling up her skirt, cupping her mound in one hand, the other pulling her tightly against me.

`It is at that,' she replies, pulling my skirt up, and slipping her hand into my panties. I gasp at the warm touch of her smooth fingers, intrigued by the difference between hers and a martial artist's. I blink, momentarily distracted because I cannot remember what Kasumi's fingers felt like, then relax into her tentative touch. I brush her panties aside, stroking her clit with a sure touch that has her gasp loud enough to make me worry for a moment. The lovely feeling of her soft fingers against my tender parts makes me forget all of that, and it is all I can do to keep my own fingers moving as I approach release. I kiss her firmly, sucking her lower lip between my own, barely keep from biting hard as I come against her hand.

Instants later she comes as well, and I pull back, smiling, as she pants almost silently. After a long moment she is calm again, `Why?' she asks, softly, then kisses the point of my chin.

`Because,' I look down, `I realized I wanted to. If you ask Ranma nicely I think she'd be willing as well,' I bite my lip, hoping I hadn't gone too far.

`Oh?' she asks, archly, as she helps me straighten up a little bit.

`Yep,' I murmur, and straighten her collar just a little bit. Satisfied with her appearance, I step back, wondering how I could have ignored such beauty.

-

`Where are they going off to?' Utchan asks me, leaning in close.

`Looks rather like the restroom,' I reply, wondering if they are going to do what I think they are going to do.

`Why?'

`I don't know. Perhaps for something similar to why Akane told me you are a wonderful lover last night,' I whisper back, careful to keep my voice actually down.

`What?' Utchan growls, `That little,'

I cut her off with a hand against her face, my thumb across her lips, `We're,' I fish for words, `Currently exploring a very sexual romantic relationship. One of our rules is that we tell each other about our,' I fish again, `partners.'

`Oh,' she murmurs around my thumb, so I stroke her lips lightly with it, wanting to kiss her so badly, but not wanting the hassle that would surely cause. I take my thumb back, and rub it across my lips, and she smiles, catching my hand, and rubs her lips across it again.

`I don't have anything planned for after school today, do you?'

`No,' she says, her eyes following my thumb as I nibble on it.

`I was wondering if you would be willing to show me your,' I smile, and trail a saliva-coated thumb along the line of her jaw, `techniques.'

She catches my hand in hers, blushing, `Sure.'

I settle down to wait for the teacher, saying that I think she went to the bathroom when she calls Yuka's name, and repeat that when she calls for Akane. She scowls at them a tiny bit when they walk in, a few moments later, a tiny bit ruffled. Akane greets me with a happy smile, and I wonder what to make of the warm grin on Yuka's face.

`Hey, I made arrangements to go visit with Utchan after school,' I tell Akane when we get a clear moment.

`Cool. I thought I'd go visit your mother.'

`You might want to ask her to show you what she showed me yesterday. I can finally walk up a flight of stairs in a girl's kimono now,' I smile, winking to make sure that she catches on that that isn't all I learned yesterday. I fight down the flash of nasty feelings that try to run up my spine at the thought, not of what I did yesterday, not even about who I did it with, but about her relationship to me.

A strange thought suddenly has me laughing.

`What is it?' Akane asks, leaning in close.

`Oh, just that I'm almost glad I don't have any more family.'

Akane looks confused for a moment, then she caresses my hand before turning back to the front of the room.

; `You sure you want me to show you what I showed her?' Utchan asks, walking beside me on the way to her restaurant.

`What did you show her?'

`How well I can pass, how much fun it is to go dancing, that I can't swing someone by the knees properly,'

`Hmm?' I inquire.

`She bonked her head against the dance floor. Lost six rounds, gave herself a concussion for a couple hours, lots of fun,' Utchan's tone is dry.

`I'm sure. So you brought her home after that?'

`Yep, that's when I ended up in her skirt, too.'

`Ah. She said something about that, at least. I think I'd like it if you took me dancing, too,' I smile up at her, latching myself to her arm, `but you don't need to show me how well you pass, since my memory is quite good.'

`Hmm, in that case, how about we take you home, get you dressed up, and then see if that dress of mine still fits?'

`The blue thing? That almost isn't there?'

She nods, embarrassed.

`Ooh, I know just the dress to go with that,' I grin, pressing myself firmly against her arm.

`Oh?'

`You'll understand when you see it, I think.'

; `I understand. You look,' she gropes for words, `wonderful, awesome, gorgeous, something like that.'

I moan in disappointment when she takes her hands off me as we start down the stairs, Nabiki tracking me with glass eyes. Kasumi blows us a kiss when she sees us, and Utchan shoots me a confused glance.

We are almost to the door when Soun notices us, going instantly into the full demon-head, `What are you doing with this girl instead of--'

I cut him off mid rant, `Utchan took Akane dancing yesterday, so we thought it would only be fair for her to take me dancing today,' I smile up at him, the epitome of cute reason.

`"Took Akane"?' There is a faint thump as he hits the floor, his logic circuits overloaded.

; `Wow,' I murmur, pulling Utchan's hands together over my bosom, which tucks me nicely against her comforting bulk. The club is brightly lit, full of pretty women and, even though I don't particularly find them interesting I do notice, handsome guys. What takes a little while to notice is that the mixed sex couples I can see on the dance floor aren't. Some of the girls pass as well as Konatsu, and I wonder what they would do if they had a chance at the Nyanniichuan; I bet some would turn it down.

Utchan leads me onto the floor, pulling me tight as a slow song plays, and I have a very difficult time keeping my breathing even as she leads me slowly through the barely familiar steps.

-

`Saotome-san?'

`Oh, hello Akane-chan! Come in!'

I gather myself a little bit as I take the steps into her genkan, shedding my shoes as I step up into the house proper.

`What do I owe this pleasure to?'

`Oh, Ranma suggested that I stop by and ask if you could show me what you showed her yesterday. It made quite an impression on her,' I smile, and Nodoka suddenly looks nervous. I lean forward and catch her hand, pressing it between my own as I bring them to my bosom.

`And what did Ranma have to say about yesterday?' she asks nervously, almost blatant in her attempt to retake her hand.

I weave my fingers into hers, and stroke the back of her hand with a soft touch, `Not much, only that she finally learned how to manage stairs in a woman's kimono, and that she seduced you,' I smile up at the taller woman, almost amused by the look of shock on her face.

`And you didn't kill her?' she looks appalled the moment the words are out of her mouth, and I ponder the notion that perhaps Ranma's foolishly loose tongue is not entirely her fault.

`Now why would I do that, when I issued the challenge in the first place?' I bring my captive hand to my lips, nibble lightly at the knuckle of her index finger, then draw it between my lips, tasting the faint salt of her skin under a sharpness of soap.

`Challenge?' she gasps, and I suck harder upon her finger for an instant, pressing it between my tongue and the roof of my mouth. She gasps sharply, swaying towards me.

I slip her finger from my mouth, `I came up with a challenge she couldn't accept,' I look down, draw her knuckles down my neck to the collar of my shirt, `to prove her femininity,' I use my free hand to undo the top two buttons, drawing her hand to the top of my cleavage, `she would have to get laid more times than me over the course of a week,' another two buttons, and I let her hand go, `Unfortunately, she accepted,' I pause for an instant, breathing, as her hand cups my breast, its bulk pulling my bra into painful shapes, `So I practically dragged her off to my room and had my wicked way with her,' no need to tell her that that was a last ditch attempt to scare her into backing off.

`Because she wouldn't back down when you insisted the first person she should have sex with is the other contestant?' Nodoka smiles, her other hand, I suddenly notice, having undone all the buttons on my blouse, and somehow pulled it loose from my skirt without my having noticed.

I nod, trapped, and she pulls me up the stairs, her fingers so soft against my breast I can hardly stand it. She somehow unhooks my bra without pausing our steps, and I shake with the sudden release, the pain from my chest easing.

-

The music changes as, outside, the sun goes down. The beat picks up, the instruments change, and suddenly there are foreign voices to go with foreign tunes. I smile up at Utchan, and she steps back a little, `How does one dance to this?!' I yell.

`Very carefully!' she yells back, indicating the crowded dance floor.

I take her at her word, imitating the way a cute young woman with long pale blue hair is dancing, her hair moving in a counterpoint to her body that her partner, a shorter woman with glasses and hair so blue it's almost black, seems to find utterly fascinating. I watch them with my peripheral vision, keeping my eyes on Utchan, pleased by the way she stops concentrating on my breasts and follows the flashing tip of my braid instead, with only occasional flashes to my breasts, and much more frequent glances towards my face. I smile at her, and giggle when she misses the beat for a moment, seemingly stunned.

-

Nodoka draws us both onto a futon, pulling me over on top of her, her right hand still stroking my breast, her left working on pulling my panties down, since we dropped my skirt in the hallway. I wiggle a little to help her, and suddenly they are down about my thighs. A tiny bit later I get my right knee out of them, and after that it is only an instant's work to send them flying. Impatiently I throw my socks after them, pulling them off with my toes, never letting my hands slip from their urgent tasks, my right cupping one of her full breasts, the left trying to find its way into the warm wetness I can sense beneath my belly.

Nodoka shoves me off, then pounces on me, pulling my shirt off so forcefully that for a moment I worry she'll rip it. My bra follows an instant later, and she holds me to the bed with her left hand planted firmly on my solar plexus. Her right hand finds my petals, and she moans softly at the wetness she finds.

Two fingers slip inside of me, shocking me with the warm rush of pleasure. I moan softly, reaching up to try and pull her firmly down against me, but she resists, and, since she is not a martial artist, I can't use the force it would take to make her. Instead I shift my attention to her face, tracing the lovely lines of it, so much like Ranma's.

I pause for an instant, glorying in the lovely feeling of her fingers inside of me, then force it down again, concentrating hard as I pull the top of her kimono open, revealing her hadagi. I pull her hadagi open as well, the soft cotton sticking to her skin tenaciously, exposing her breasts, swaying softly with the force of her thrusting fingers. I lean up, almost able to reach, but her hand on my chest lifts her just as I'm about to reach that goal, and I collapse back down, only to reach up and run a trembling hand into the soft wet warmth of her cleavage.

I let myself drift in the pleasant sensations, her fingers slowly building a raging force in my tender parts, the soft sway of her breasts against my hand spreading a lovely warmth in my heart.

She moves her hand slightly, and on her next thrust into me she brushes her thumb across my clit. That is enough, and I gasp at the warm flood of pleasure that takes my breath away for several moments as the aftershocks shake me hard.

`So, how was that?' she smiles down at me, somehow not the manic, queer woman I've come to know over the last few months, but something else, although I've not, I realize with shock, a clue what that something else is.

`Nice,' I smile up at her, glad that she's finally shifted her hand off my solar plexus. With a quick twist I turn us both over, carefully cradling her head in my hands to keep from accidentally knocking it against something, then I let the sheer torment of her loveliness guide my fingers, stripping her with an insistent ease that I wouldn't have believed possible a few days earlier.

Almost before she has a chance to catch her breath I have her bare beneath me, her traditional garb spread underneath her as I stroke gentle fingers across the smooth swell of her belly. She gasps, looking up at me with a clear trusting gaze that I've only ever seen on one face before, a face so similar to the one before me. Suddenly determined not to betray that trust, I catch one nipple between gentle fingers, `Do you like this?' I ask, twisting it lightly.

`Yes,' she murmurs, her eyes half closed.

`This?' I ask, twisting a little bit harder.

`Yes.'

`This?' I ask, twisting as hard as I had for Ranma yesterday, but not so hard as Kasumi had.

`Yes,' her voice is a little louder, a tiny bit ragged.

I trace my other hand across her damp petals, and suddenly the commonly used euphemism makes sense to me for the first time as they open slightly while I watch. I twist her nipple again, as hard as Kasumi's cruel grip the day before, so hard that I worry for an instant about permanent damage, `This?'

`Yes!' she moans, a tiny pulse of wetness shockingly warm against my fingers.

`This?' I twist as hard as I dare.

`Don't stop!'

I stare at her, slipping two fingers into her slickly wet core. That has to hurt, and I would be telling anyone who's fingers were doing that to my nipples to stop immediately or face unpleasant consequences. Her hips slide smoothly towards my hand, and I pull my fingers back awkwardly, entranced by her tight grip on them. I add another, wondering for an instant how anything that tight could stretch that far. *Silly, Ranma, albeit a much smaller Ranma, came out of here.* Somehow that thought sends a new flash of desire through me, and I, emboldened by it, add yet another finger, penetrating her more deeply, the webbing between my thumb and index finger stroking across her clit before I draw them back again.

`More,' she moans, her legs drawn back, her heels tight against my knees where I kneel over her, my weight supported by my grip upon her breast, and I give that a squeeze, a little shocked by the soft way her flesh seems to bulge from between my fingers, the skin looking painfully tight. She moans in apparent enjoyment, her hands firmly holding mine in place, her hips rocking franticly as she tries to force my pace.

I slow down my strokes even further, slip my thumb down into the cup of my hand, and slide all five of my fingers into her, watching with distracted awe as I sink my hand first to the second knuckle of my thumb, then out, then, with a surprising suddenness, all the way to my wrist. She lets out a sharp shriek, her muscles clamping firmly about my hand, a delicious pressure, and I wiggle my hand off of her breast as she calms, stroking my other hand slightly back and forth as her muscles pulse around my fingers.

I admire her for a long moment, her face softened slightly, her hair disarrayed, her neck curved slightly by the way her face has fallen a bit to one side, a glorious sheen of sweat glittering along the smooth, wonderful curves of her form. I lean forward carefully, take the nipple I've abused so cruelly into my mouth, and bathe it lightly with an apologetic tongue.

`Thank you,' I murmur, letting her nipple fall from my lips.

-

`So, Utchan, you trying to get me drunk?' I ask, taking the second drink she's bought me this evening. This one, however, I note happily, is only coke, without the warm alcohol bite of the first.

`Trying? I think I succeeded.'

`Mebe so, mebe not,' I tell her, holding my drink carefully to one side as I catch her face, my hand on the back of her neck pulling us both to a more even level. That accomplished I nibble lightly at that lovely nose in front of my face, well pleased by her faint happy moans. I let off on her nose, settle myself back just a bit, then lean forward to suckle lightly at her lower lip, teasing gently.

`You're kinda small,' she murmurs against my lips, `and I've never known you to be this affectionate in public,' she shifts slightly, pressing insistent lips to my own. I let my lips slip open under the gentle pressure of her mouth, stroke her soft lips with the tip of my tongue. I feel her lips begin to open, and then she backs off again, `and your balance is a little off. I'd say I succeeded.'

`So whata ya gonna do 'bout it?' I let my feet fall back flat against the ground, amused by the way everything swirls just a little bit with my movement, and tuck my head under her chin before taking another drink of my cola.

`I was thinking I'd take you back to my place and have my wicked way with you.'

`Sounds nice, but I think I'd rather have my wicked way with you. Certain people, recently, have seemed to really enjoy it.' I shift my stance, brushing my breasts against her ribs, my chin against her breast, and my hair against the soft skin of her neck.

She moans softly, `Thanks for the offer, but . . . '

The way she says it raises instant suspicions, and I pull back a little bit. I watch her as I finish off my drink, then set it down, glancing towards the dance floor. `One more set?' I ask.

`Sure,' she finishes her own drink in three quick swallows, then takes my hand.

-

I wake as she rolls us both over again, her fingers softly stroking my skin. I moan, wrapping my fingers in her hair as soft kisses dance along my belly. Her tongue invades my belly-button, swirling there in an insistent pattern that takes my breath away.

Before I can decide why such an innocuous touch can cause so much havoc with my insides she has moved further down, towards the damp ache between my legs. She pauses for a moment, pulling painfully at my short hairs with her teeth.

I slap lightly at the back of her head, `Please, don't.'

She stops before the obnoxious sensation affects the raging desire burning in my veins, and begins playing with my petals, soft lips and sharp teeth stroking them softly. My leg muscles strain slightly as I hold them out of the way, eager to have her take full advantage of the access a skilled martial artist can provide. She touches the tip of her tongue to my swollen clit, and I gasp, shocked, at the flash of horribly intense pleasure.

`So you like that?' Nodoka murmurs, then catches the little nub between her teeth.

`Yes,' I manage to force out as she nibbles lightly, then cups it between her lips, pulling at it with remarkable force. I let a moan escape, trying to slow the sudden sharp spiral towards release. Nodoka shifts slightly and presses her tongue inside of me, the slick hard muscle wonderfully shocking, and I go over that familiar edge.

`Nnnmm,' I moan in soft disappointment, then she is slowly drawing me up that spiral again, and I wrap my fingers in her soft hair.

Her tongue is alternately soft, touching me lightly, then hard, demanding, squashing my clit or my soft inner petals against her teeth. She is more careful this time, settling into a rhythmic motion for a few moments, then breaking that rhythm, shattering that spiral, and beginning again.

After a short eternity I can no longer stand it, and press her face hard against me, grating words flowing from my throat, `No more, finish it, please.' I suck air over abused vocal cords, and it escapes again, this time in a soft shriek as she sucks heavily on my clit, and presses it against her teeth as I try to draw another breath. I gasp, shaking, the warm aftershocks of my release pulsing in time with her touch.

The aftershocks end at last, and I draw her up on top of me again, kissing her soft, wonderful, oh so skillful lips, the salt taste of my juice mixed with her own warm sweetness.

`So you like that, too, hmm?'

`Of course,' I reply, `I like you.'

-

`So, what are we going do do with you?' she asks me, as I wobble down the street on her arm, still a little tipsy.

`Whatever you want,' I reply, almost boldly.

`Oh, really?'

Something in her voice nearly makes me worry.

; `Is anyone else about?'

`Nah, Konatsu's got the rest of the week off, thought it'd be easier this way.'

`What would be?'

`This,' she leans in and kisses me again, hands firm against my back, callused fingers slightly rough through the silk of my dress. I let myself press against her, senses still slightly odd. *How does oyaji move when he's been drinkin? This is just a single glass . . . *

I shake the irrelevant thought from my head and start slowly pulling her towards the stairs, but quickly get distracted by Utchan's attempt to get me out of my dress.

I return the favor, letting the thought that I'd never actually seen her in a dress before [had he? --S] flow across my mind. She stumbles a little, short dancing steps barely avoiding the discarded dress pooled on the floor. Cleavage that I know I've seen before peeks out of black lace, inspiring quite different feelings than the last time I saw it, and I trace one rough edge, smiling at the way she shivers.

She gets me back, the thick soft silk of my dress blocking my view until I move my arms enough that she can pull it over my head. The black silk gleams softly against the pale floor and darker fuzziness of the blue cotton in the pale indirect light of the streetlamp. Her fingers slide across the age-thinned flannel of my boxers, and she picks me up by my hips.

`Hey!' I squeak, startled, throwing my arms around her neck to keep from going over backwards. The warmth of her skin and the rough texture of the lace against my breasts feels nice, and I let a small moan escape as I wrap my legs around her waist.

; `So,' she says again, laying me down on her futon, `I finally have you where I want you.'

`Or I've got you,' I reply, reversing our positions in a single quick movement, careful not to pin her. She goes tense, and I smile down at her, stroke up the rough line of one bra-strap with a gentle fingertip, and she slowly relaxes. I follow it back down the soft skin over her ribs, and she moans softly, `If that's OK.'

`Fine,' she says, but tenses anyway. I let worries about what could have happened flit through my mind, then banish them. I concentrate instead on the soft skin under my callused fingers, and the slowly dropping tension in her muscles.

When she's calmed enough to be pliable again I slip the front-hook on her bra, letting the question of where and how she got it flutter away unhindered. Her eyes are calmer this time, and the tension increases as I trace careful swirling patterns over her belly, then up and across her shoulders. However, the look in her eyes has changed, the fear overpowered by something I hope I recognize. I kiss her, softly, and her reaction is passionate and shocking, her fingers wrenching in my hair.

`More,' she gasps when she finally lets me up for air.

`Oh,' I manage, the word stretching far longer than I had planned. With quick, jerky movements we divest her of her bra, then I slip her briefs down over her hips, gasping when our movements bring damply chill flannel back into contact with my skin.

`Wow, you are really wet,' she observes, her hand sliding up my thigh under my boxers, `Don't think I've ever gotten a girl this wet before,' and her fingers are remarkably soft against my labia, just the faintest touch.

`So, Akane wasn't the first girl you've taken to your bed?'

`What, a handsome guy like me? Of course not.'

My fingers on her labia distract her nicely, `Am I the first girl who's touched you like this?'

`No,' she manages after a moment, her hips rocking up towards my fingers, breath shaky, `second.'

`First girl other than yourself, or second girl other than yourself,' I prompt, tracing the soft line of her inner labia with a single finger.

She looks like she wants to answer, her lips moving, but nothing intelligible coming out, so I stop moving.

`Hmm?'

`First girl other than myself,' she says quickly, `please don't stop,' her voice desperate.

`You sure?' I trace a small circle around her clitoris, `Don't wanna do anything you don't want done.'

`I'm sure, please,' she gasps, her hips jerking almost randomly in response to my caressing fingers.

`More?' I ask, bringing my fingers down over the opening of her vagina.

She nods, convulsively, her hips straining upward, the tip of my middle finger slipping inside.

`Like this?' I continue the motion she started, pressing my finger into the welcoming heat, watching the almost soft expression on her face.

`More, there,' she murmurs, pulling lightly on my hand with hers, the other releasing the edge of the futon to clench my hip with bruising force.

I slip more of my middle finger into her, the tiny digit slowly vanishing, then run into something. She gasps sharply when I press at it, and I wonder for a moment what it could be as I slowly draw my finger back.

`Do you want me to take it?' I ask her, vaguely amused by my deductive skills.

She blinks, then nods. I stroke it back into her, brush it lightly, then draw back.

`You sure?' I ask, giving into the urge and pressing the damp fabric of my boxers between my vulva and her thigh. I force down a moan as I stroke her clitoris with my thumb.

`Yes!' she gasps, her breath shorter, almost matching the pace of my thumb on her clitoris.

I try to keep my thumb moving at the same pace as I slowly stroke my finger into her again, then out, and then press through the softly stretchy membrane.

She gasps when I do so, her thigh jerking against me, but seems to recover quickly under the rapid movement of my thumb. After a moment I resume stroking my finger through her vagina, enjoying the lovely sight of her.

A very short time later she reaches orgasm, and I hold her gently, repositioning myself after the final aftershocks fade.

`So, did you like that?' she asks.

`Yeah,' I reply, pressing myself against her, wanting to feel her weight pressing me to the futon, but unwilling to move.

`So, do I get to have my wicked way with you, now that you've had yours with me?'

`I suppose, if you really want to,' I say with what even I can tell is a transparent show of reluctance. She pulls my boxers down, dropping the sweat-damp fabric on the floor next to the futon, then slips one thigh between my own. I press back against the hard muscle, amazed by the intensity. She moans softly, her hands on my hips, stroking me slowly, gently, and I can feel the warm dampness of her vulva against my own thigh.

I stretch to try and kiss her, but I'm a good deal too short, so I settle for kissing and nibbling her collarbone, attempting to distract myself from the rapidly building wave of my own orgasm, glorying in the soft moans she makes as my thigh strokes softly over her vulva, and her thigh presses against me with almost painful force.

All too soon, I orgasm, the warm chemical rush flooding through me, almost as nice as the knowledge that I brought her with me.

As the aftershocks fade I slip up her body a little bit, kissing my way up her neck and chin, then capturing her lips, pressing my tongue between her lips, glorying in the warm strength of her tongue as she tries to capture my own.

When she breaks the kiss I bury my face against her neck, safe and secure for a little while. After a bit I feel a blanket drawn up my back, tucked around our shoulders, and give her a squeeze.

`Oyasumi.'

`Oyasumi.'

*-* --- log:   
1999 June middle: re-read Gratuity, started   
1999 July 5: added log   
1999 July 24-27: wrote about 1600 lines . . .   
1999 July 28-Oct 9: wrote about six hundred lines . . .   
1999 Oct 10: Finished day three ^^; I don't know if I'll be able to finish this by the middle of next month at this rate.   
1999 Oct 10: four hundred lines 1999 Oct 13: Two hundred lines so far; maybe I'll finish day four soon   
1999 Nov 5: a few paragraphs of dialog, after not working on it for almost a month. If I really hussle, maybe I can still finish this in six months.   
1999 Nov 8: a little more   
1999 Nov 13: Finally got the Duo running; and added a good bit.   
1999 Nov 16: Worked for an hour, added over a hundred lines, then had the Duo decide that her battery was too flat and crash. great fun.   
1999 Nov 17: got some more done.   
1999 Nov 18: Yay! nother section!   
1999 Nov 27: Actually got a decent bit done. Yay!   
1999 Dec 1: got most of day five done.   
1999 Dec 2: updated log for Dec 1, added a tiny bit of day six   
1999 Dec 3: Finished day five, tiny bit more of day six   
2000 Feb 12: worked on it off and on over the last few couple months. The Duo got to be too obnoxious, both because she's a bit slow, but mainly because I don't have a power-adapter for her. Got the 520 back, because she didn't sell for a price I'd like, and so I'm back to work again.   
2000 March 9: more playing with boxen. Got a Compaq Contura Aero 4/25 in trade, got linux up and running on it, got back to work, maybe. Did a little bit of work on the 520, but not much.   
2000 March 19: Got some more done, finally. I hope to finish day six soon.   
2000 March 25: Finished the first draft! Finally! YAY!   
2000 March 28: First full edit.   
2000 December 3: reread and edited.   
2001 May 20: re-wrapped at 78 columns 2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.  
2017 June 26: Edited Day 2 for posting to AO3.


	5. Day 3: Options

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A good day for Akane, a day of thinking for Ranma

Genom Research

Presents

A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day Three: Options

-

`Akane, I noticed that you weren't at home when I stopped by to get clothing this morning,' I greet the taller woman, stepping into her personal space.

She wraps a possessive arm around my shoulders, `Nope, spent the night at your mother's.'

`Really? What did you do there?'

`We talked, she showed me a few things,' she pinches my butt, perhaps to indicate what kind of things, `Did you have fun with Utchan?'

`Yeah, she took me dancing, and I learned a few things,' I kiss the underside of her jaw, bending my knees to lower me far enough that I can manage it.

`Mmm, did you ask her if she'd like to continue this?'

`No, but she's right over there,' I say when I finally break the kiss several moments later.

I trail after her, stroke Utchan's neck softly before resting my hand on her shoulder.

`Utchan,' Akane begins, looks around, then drops to one knee and continues in a softer voice, `We're kinda wondering if you'd mind continuing recent relations indefinitely.'

I blink, running that through the parser several times before I decide that she'd said what we want said, even if it was a little weird.

`If you're sayin what I think you're sayin, then of course I want to.'

`Good,' and Akane wraps her fingers around Utchan's neck, leans in, and kisses her hard, in full view of the entire class. The couple of wolf whistles are from the guys who refuse to believe that Utchan's female. Everyone else has better sense than to say anything, but a few turn away out of either envy or disgust. Glancing around the room I'd guess most of the turned heads are envy.

-

`Hey, Ranma-kun,' Yuka says, stepping up to my desk.

`Hmm?' I ask her, looking up with what I'm sure is a softly sated smile.

`Akane mentioned that you might be,' she glances at my desktop, blushing slightly, `interested,' and the word is stressed slightly, `in the discussion we had yesterday.'

`I might be. Are you sure you want to share it with me?'

`Absolutely,' and the word is a single sultry sound. I almost cringe, but manage to stop myself.

`OK, when?'

`How about right after class?' I glance up at the clock, which shows another thirty seconds 'til class is scheduled to start.

`Sure.'

;

`Hey, do you mind if Sayuri joins in on our discussion?'

I glance at the cute young woman, `No, I don't guess so,' I wave for Yuka to lead the way.

She ushers us into a storage room, which, I note, locks from the inside. Sayuri slides a bolt-lock closed, which will keep the staff out, but none of the martial artists, if they decide they want to be in here.

`So,' I say, turning to look at Yuka.

Before I've turned halfway, she has her hands wrapped around me from behind, pulling up the bottom of my shirt. Sayuri's hands wrap around the both of us, her face rubbing softly against my bosom through my shirt. I glance down and the thought that flashes through my mind startles me, *I'm glad her makeup isn't heavier, it'd be a pain to clean up in time for the next class.*

I gulp, then pull Sayuri up so I can kiss her forehead. I kiss my way softly down her face, nibble her collarbone lightly through her uniform, then begin dropping, pulling Yuka down with me, settling down into seiza in front of Sayuri. She gasps softly as I trail gentle bites down her front.

Yuka's hand slide up over my breasts, stroking my nipples with insistent fingers, pinching them ever so gently. I ignore her as I nibble at Sayuri's thigh, listening to her speeding breath as I pull her skirt slowly up, leaving small damp marks on the fabric from my mouth. She gasps again when I finally get it out of the way and bite her soft skin. Her hands cup my shoulders, supporting her, and I trail my tongue up her thigh, slipping it up under her briefs, feeling the slight resistance of her pubic hair against it.

I decide, and pull back a little bit, catching her briefs by the leg openings before pulling them down past her knees. She wiggles, probably kicking them off, but I slip my nose through her pubic hair, eyes closed as her hands bite into my shoulders. I find her labia by touch, and stroke them softly with my tongue.

She jerks, pulling away, and I bring my hands back into play, catching her hips, pulling her skirt out of the way again. Her position now secured I lean back into her, noting that Yuka's hand has slipped into my boxers, and her fingers are stroking my clitoris with some semblance of skill. Sayuri jerks again when I find her clitoris with tongue and teeth, a sharp gasp of, `please,' telling me to continue.

I stroke it softly, slowly, bringing her gently towards release, her hands twisting on my shoulders. After a moment she goes rigid, her hips pressed forward towards me, and I back off, sucking softly at her outer labia, and she gives a very disappointed moan. After a short while she's relaxed again, and I go back to her clitoris, pressing it against my teeth with firm strokes of my tongue, and she gasps, moaning softly and steadily, then orgasms with a suddenness that surprises me, gasping a name, `Yuka!'

I support her as she collapses, pulling myself upright, then settling her into Yuka's lap.

`I should get back to class,' I whisper softly to Yuka, who nods, `You should slide the bar again after I leave,'

`OK,' she says, a happily stunned look on her face. I check my clothing, wish momentarily for a mirror, then slip the bar, unlock the door for a moment, and slip out, hearing her lock the door behind me.

I rinse my face at a water fountain on the way back to class, and wonder how long it's been. Somehow I make it back to the room before the bell declares me late, and I manage to get through the rest of the day.

-

After school I make arrangements with Ranma to see him and Utchan that evening, then set out to try and figure out what I'm doing, why I haven't called this off. It isn't making either of us happy, really, well, maybe just a little,

Grr, anyway, I wish I knew why Ranma came back with that look on her face from being with Sayuri and Yuka. It isn't like they're not cute, or mean, or anything, but she just looked kind of sad, and gave me the oddest smile. Utchan got a kiss, which really . . .

`Ahh!' I sigh, loudly, trying to discard my upset. It doesn't work, my eyes are still stinging, and I just don't know what to do.

A discarded soda can provides a momentary diversion, and I kick it, chasing it down the street as it bounces and clatters, eventually slowing enough that I can kick it again.

It doesn't take long for the familiar walls of the area around Fuurinkan to drop away, but I keep chasing the by now almost ball-shaped can.

`Tasukette!' someone, someone female, yells. I kick my can in that direction, then step on it when I see what is going on. Five large boys, or maybe they're adults, are surrounding a girl in a St. Hebereke uniform. Three of them are holding the girl, one is keeping watch in my direction, and the fifth seems to be undoing his belt.

The can takes the watchman in the forehead, and he drops, limp.

Belt takes a firm kick to his back, a blow hard enough that it probably pulps his kidney, but he should have thought of that before he started trying to rape schoolgirls.

Left takes a full-force spin-kick to his ribs, which sound remarkably like a bundle of twigs snapping.

Right Leg lets go of the girl and turns to flee, and Right Arm drops to the ground, his right femur having made a soft crunching noise.

Right Leg somehow senses me coming, and gets his arms up in time for me to shatter both of them, as well as press his sternum most of the way to his spine. He drops, breathing shallowly.

`Are you OK?' I ask, turning back to the girl.

`Yes, because of you,' she answers, and I recognize her.

`Kodachi?' I say, incredulous, then step up to her, `Would you like me to walk you back to your house?'

She looks up, finally, and blinks, `I would like that, Tendou Akane,' slight pause, then, watching me carefully, `Chan.'

I think I blush.

-

`Ranma-kun?'

`What is it, Kasumi?'

`I was wanting to talk to you about our discussion on Sunday.'

`Sure,' I step into her personal space, and she wraps her hand across my cheek, confirming my guess as to her intentions. Unlike this morning a warm flush of desire flashes down my spine, and I moan softly, leaning into the caressing hand.

`You don't regret our discussion, do you?' she asks softly, her other hand sliding down my neck, rubbing the ever-tense muscles of my back.

-

I check the downed men quickly; they're all still breathing.

`Let's go?' I ask, presenting my arm to Kodachi.

She takes it, leaning lightly against my shoulder as we start down the street again.

-

Kasumi pulls me down with her, the futon firm against my side. I stroke her face, wanting desperately for her to kiss me.

She does, her lips soft against mine. Her teeth hard and sharp as she bites my lips, pulling firmly. She shakes her head back and forth a little as she grips the padding on my jaw, pulling the skin, oh so close to breaking it. I moan, trying to press myself tighter against her. She shifts her grip, fastening her teeth on the soft flesh next to my windpipe, pulling occasionally as I hold her head firmly in place. After a few moments her hand cups my mons, and I realize that she's opened my shirt, as well as stripped off my pants and boxers.

Her fingers slip across my clitoris, and I orgasm with a soft gasp, warm aftershocks flowing through me as she shakes her head again.

A moment later I'm surprised, for she somehow managed to get the point of my shoulder between her teeth, and for a long moment there is nothing in the universe outside of the sharp points gnawing on my shoulder, the occasional soft sucking noises as she shifts flashing through me. After an indefinite period I realize that brought me back to that unexpected place, with just the sharp touch of her teeth and the warm press of her body on top of mine.

She lets go of my shoulder, pressing me down flat, and catches my eyebrow between her lips. A slick warm firmness slides down and touches my eyelid, pressing me over the edge into orgasm again.

I am such a . . .

No, I won't.

-

`Hello? Yeah, I need to report five men passed out in the street. No, I don't know how they got there, but they seem pretty badly hurt. Yeah,' I give the address they're in front of, `Yeah, I guess they didn't realize that one shouldn't go around attacking schoolgirls. It was no trouble at all. Bai bai.'

`That's it?'

`Yep. Maybe they'll learn better.'

-

She cuddles me close, my face pressed to her neck, and strokes my hair with soft fingers. Her weight presses me against the futon, and I clutch her tightly against me, never wanting to let her go completely. What makes Kasumi different than . . .

If I do this I won't be the same again.

Can I avoid it?

-

`Could I get you some tea or something?' Kodachi asks, at the gate into her house.

`Uun, there's no need to trouble yourself about me,' I try to demure.

`It's no trouble at all, please,' something in her eyes . . .

`OK, if it isn't too much trouble.'

`Not at all.'

; I sip my tea, wondering why I'm trusting this girl so far, after all our history. Can a single rescue wipe away all that animosity, or is it something else.

`Akane-chan, I am wondering about something,' she shifts her position, setting her teacup on the kotatsu in front of us.

`What?' I shift to look at her a little closer.

`Do,' she breaks off, looks down, looks up at me, blushes, then looks down again.

I place my hand on her shoulder, stroke the firm muscles with soft touches, `Do I?'

`Do you,' she breaks off again, gulps, then her expression hardens a little, and she moves.

The touch of her lips to mine is startling, and I respond before I can think about it, pressing into the kiss. Almost before I know it she has me flat against the floor, her weight just enough to feel nice against me, but not so great as to leave me feeling trapped.

After a long moment she breaks the kiss, and pulls back a little, looking as stunned as I feel. After a moment her face hardens again, and she says, `If you want me to stop, tell me.'

`As in, I tell you I don't want something to happen, or I tell you "stop?"'

`Which would you prefer?' the sudden gleam in Kodachi's eyes sends a remarkably pleasant shiver down my spine.

`Nothing other than "stop" means no,' I fight down the surging fear to get the words out, but they feel so . . .

-

Grr. I don't think I'm going to win this contest. I don't think I _want_ to. I shake my head at the thought, I'm Saotome Ranma, who never backs down from a challenge, and never loses. Or at least not for long. I don't like what winning will do to me, though, and that scares me more than a little bit. That scares me a lot, actually. I rub my face against Kasumi's neck, trying to drive the dark thoughts off with the warm comfort of her presence.

It doesn't work until she starts to kiss me, soft gentle kisses that make the new bruises burn as desire flares anew.

-

`Well, then, where is that hiding,' she murmurs, digging into a box. After a moment she comes back with a coil of fairly thick white rope.

`Back, onto the bed,' she tells me, pressing me backwards. Straddling my hips she rubs the coil lightly against my face, and I gasp softly, first at the warmth of her presence, then at how unbelievably soft the rope is. She uncoils the end, tying it to the headboard of the western style bed, then to one of my wrists.

I pull and tug at it, then nod when Kodachi looks a question at me. She uncoils more of the rope, then ties it to my other wrist, measuring out a good length before tying it to the headboard again. She drops the coil, looking down at me.

I tug firmly with both hands, the knots firm, but not so tight that they bite into my flesh when I relax. I smile up at her, and she kisses me again. For a moment I fear I'm going to melt, my puddled remains soaking into her mattress.

She gets up, leaving a horrible feeling of loss. I look for her, finding her digging in her box again. After a bit she straightens, returning with another coil of rope.

`The other one was too short,' she says, tying one ankle. She ties the rope to the footboard, then stretches it over to the other side of the bed and ties it again, leaving the end free.

After an instant I realize why as she starts to unbutton my blouse, the small buttons opening faster than I would have thought possible. Finished with that she presses it aside, pulling it free of my skirt, the material gathered at my shoulders. Reaching underneath my back, her face pillowed on my breasts, she unhooks my bra, pulling the straps out from under me, then pressing the garment up to drape across my neck, softly shaking with the force of my breathing. I really never thought it would feel like this.

Her fingers make short work of my skirt, unfastening the garment before pulling it down my legs, leaving it tangled about the rope just off my ankle. My panties follow, my hips rising to let them pass, my legs kept close enough together that she can get them down without damage, and only then does she tie my other ankle.

`Comfy?' she asks, soft fingers running faint calluses down my side.

I test the bonds again, `Yes,' I manage, my breathing still uneven.

`Wow,' she sighs, sliding her fingers across my hip, `you really do want this,' she slides her fingers ever so softly across my petals, `don't you.'

`Yes,' I manage somehow.

`You remember the safeword, right?'

It takes me a moment to place the term, then I nod.

`Good,' and her face changes, hardening into a terrifying mask of rage.

I gulp, hard, and fight the urge to tell her to stop. She pauses, and her face softens with a smile, `Shh,' she touches my forehead.

I let the fear drop, hoping for the best.

-

Kasumi rubs her hand softly across my shoulder, the soft silk warming quickly between our skins.

`Are you OK?'

`I don't know,' I look down, scared by the admission, `I don't know if I want to win this, and that scares me,' I wouldn't answer this for anyone else, no matter what. Kasumi I feel I can trust, even if she's turned on me a couple times . . .

`Why don't you want to win?' she asks, settling back against the counter, her hands clasping together around my waist.

I settle myself more firmly into her arms, relaxing slightly at as she strokes my tail, `I don't like the person I'm seeing in the mirror recently,' I shake my head, `I don't like the knowledge that I've been seducing people who otherwise never would have slept with me for this contest.'

`And this is bad?'

Her tone makes me look up at her, and she's smiling down at me somewhat crookedly.

`Not you. This morning Yuka and Sayuri dragged me off to a storage room. That woulda been OK, but it was pretty obvious that I was just there as an excuse for the two of them to be together. I don't think I'd mind being an excuse if that was the idea from the start, but . . . ' I shake my head, and she pulls me up, kissing me softly.

`It's OK. Maybe they didn't know, either.'

`How could they not? I always know who's attractive and who I'd actually like to spend time with.'

`Really? Does anyone else?'

`They should.'

`How? Other than fighting with Ryouga-kun I have no idea what you even like to do, let alone who you find attractive. I only found out that you find me attractive when you told me so.'

I lean back a little, `really?' I ask in a fairly small voice.

`Really.'

`Then how do the others know?'

`They probably don't. They just guess that you should, so.'

`Oh,' I manage, then press my face back against Kasumi's belly.

-

`No,' I yell, trying to pull one hand free as I twist, shoving my breast more firmly into Kodachi's mouth, `Let Go!' my breath short as she bites my nipple, making a warm flush of arousal flash over my belly. I didn't think I liked pain.

She shifts, biting her way down my other side, and I arch my spine to press into the assault, squirming and yelling complaints the whole time. I worry for an instant that I'm a real pervert for getting off on this, then the thought falls out of my head.

-

I attack the vegetables with far more vigor than I really need, the sharp knife combined with my own skill allowing me to each one into even rings as they jump and dance against the board. I step back, then with a single sweep of my hand lob the entire batch into the wok Kasumi is frying with.

`Celery is next, Ranma-chan,' she prompts softly.

The celery is much less inclined to jump around, so I finish it even faster, although a slice escapes to bounce off the stove top when I lob them at the pan.

-

Firm, callused fingers press against me, and I spread my thighs a little more, inviting her to continue even as I moan soft denials. She smiles, pressing four bunched fingers between my petals, penetrating me slightly. I gasp involuntarily, my hips jerking upward towards her hand even as I scream, `No,' my voice remarkably weak.

`You do know you can say stop, right?' she asks, pulling her fingers back a little bit.

`Right,' I gasp.

She rewards me by pressing her fingers back into me, stopping this time when the brawn of her thumb rubs softly against my clit. I moan a low, `Iya,' my hips jerking spastically.

Her hand pulls back, and I can't stop the dismay in my next moan, but the sight of her thumb folding in with the rest of her fingers allays it.

`Yada, sonna,' I protest as her hand disappears inside of me, my back arched to give her better access. She smiles, shifting her hand slowly inside of me as she leans forward.

I try to bend, try to capture her lips with my own, but the ropes catch me. I strain towards her, and she grabs one nipple with her teeth. She grinds it softly between her canines, where it feels like she's pressed it flat, and is trying to puncture it.

I vocalize something loud and protesting, carefully avoiding the word stop as I strain towards her slowly-moving hand, twisting to press my breast against her face.

-

I worry a little where Akane is as we serve dinner, but I fight it down. Afterwards, I make excuses to Kasumi and head toward Utchan's.

-

Finally, with a last protesting noise, I come, the force of it shaking me hard enough that I fear for a moment or three that I would pass out. Kodachi's free hand strokes softly across my belly, calming motions that help bring me slowly down from the frightening heights she took me to.

`Shh, you'll be OK, shh,' she murmurs softly, her face resting lightly against my side as she speaks.

`That was,' words fail me, but, as I find when I try to cuddle her closer to me, I am still bound, so I try them again, `That was wonderful, awesome, lovely . . .'

`It's OK, I know,' her voice . . .

I cut her off, `Know what?'

`That you don't want to do that again,' she says sadly.

`Don't want to do that again?' I blink up at her in astonishment, `Right now it'd probably kill me, but you're wrong.'

`Why?'

Why indeed? `Because that was just,' I shake my head, `Because.'

`Then you won't try and kill me when I let you go?'

I blink, `Of course not.'

With slight rocking motions she withdraws her hand, a strange feeling of loss accompanying the sight of it slipping between my petals.

-

`Utchan? You seen Akane today?'

`Not since we left school, no,' she replies, looking a little worried herself.

`Oh,' I look at the floor, wondering what this strange unease is.

-

`Mmm,' the happy noise escaping my throat is a bit of a shock, but I fight that down. I stroke my face against her cheek, keeping her lightly pinned, feeling her shiver every time I move.

I place a hand on her hip, and she moans in protest.

`Scared?'

`Um, no, not,' she manages in a weak voice.

I pull back a little, surprised. I caress her firmly, and she shudders, `I won't hurt you, OK?. Can you trust me?'

`I'll try,' she takes a deep breath, then slowly, slowly, relaxes under my hand. With slow, careful movements I start undoing the buttons on her blouse, leaving it tucked in.

-

`Need any help?' I ask from where I'm lounging against the wall looking pretty.

`Nah, although if you could bus the tables it'd be nice.'

`OK.'

-

I rub my nose against her mostly naked form, tracing the line of her bra. She shivers softly, her breath fast and shallow, but her hands are still tracing firm lines on my back, so I let myself continue.

-

`Bring in the Noren, please,' Utchan asks, and I slip outside and look at the thing carefully, finally figuring out how to get it down as Utchan comes to the door to check on me.

I bring the dark blue fabric inside, `Where do you want this?'

`Over there,' she points with a spatula, and I slip it into the box I find there. [If anyone knows anything more about proper care and feeding of Noren, I'd like to hear it --S][Noren, for those who know less than I do, are the shop-curtains one hangs out. I know one brings them in when one shuts down for the day, but I don't have any clue about how they are hung up or stored, so, --S]

-

Kodachi moans, her breath soft and deep, as I tug lightly at her nipple, her petals soft and damp against my thigh. Her hands, however, are hard and demanding, the callus rough against my neck as she holds me in place.

`So nice,' she manages, her words breathy and indistinct.

-

I press harder to Utchan, the tough callus on the heel of my hand sliding against her teeth with a pleasant wrinkly feeling.

`Is this a hint?' I ask, in my most hopeful voice.

`Mm?' she asks, politely continuing to nibble at my hand, sending pleasant spikes of pain flashing down my body.

`That you like me?'

`Yes,' she lets me go to answer, so I moan protest, `You are yummy,' she goes back to gnawing at my hand, beginning to slip slowly up my arm.

-

`Nice,' hisses between her teeth as her hips grind against my thigh in perfect counterpoint to my own thrusting. She's so lovely right now, her face softened by sweat, a fierce but somehow vulnerable look on it, her nails biting into my back, one leg all but wrapped across my waist.

Her other thigh is rubbing lightly against my petals, and it is quickly going to bring me off again, so I shift to nibble lightly at the larger girl's collarbone. It feels so different with Ranma, who's so _tiny_.

She stiffens, a shocked look on her face, and the small, sideways, look I get at it is enough to bring me over, and I bury my face against her chest as the aftershocks flutter back and forth.

-

`Hey, aren't we going to get your clothes off first?' I ask her softly as she places gentle kisses against my bare chest.

`Later,' kiss, nibble, tug, `I want you first, no distractions.'

She gasps prettily when I rub her unbound bosom through her shirt, `I don't think that'll work,' I say as protest.

\- `Are you sure this is OK with you?' I ask her, softly stroking her warm petals with one finger.

`Yes, I want to feel you inside of me,' I feel heat flush my cheeks at her brazen words. I know, it's silly, but to actually hear someone _say_ something like that without any outside pressure . . .

-

`Did you mind the distractions?' I trap her hand against my belly, enjoying the comparison between her long elegant digits and my own short, almost pudgy, ones.

`No, I guess not,' and her fingers slip in small, mesmerizing circles.

Her fingers really are prettier than mine, if only a little.

*-*

\---

log:

2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.

2017 July 2: typos fixed for posting to AO3


	6. Day 4: Permanence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akane and Ranma discussion and decision what they want to have happen after the challenge.  
> And lots of sex.

Genom Research Presents   
A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day Four: Permanence

-

`Mnnble?' I ask, mostly asleep.

`Me,' Akane says, slipping under the covers. I shift, dropping an arm over her waist as she settles in against Utchan as well, then let myself fall back asleep.

;

`Morning, beautiful,' a cheerful voice greets me.

I make a grumpy face in its general direction, and am rewarded with a kiss.

`Hey, don't I get one?' a slightly grumpy voice asks from beside me.

`I don't know,' Utchan drawls, then squeaks sharply, her voice rising into a troubled giggle, `OK, you get one too.'

The sight that greets me when I finally pry my eyes open should provoke jealousy, but instead a warm feeling of contentment settles firmly in my belly. I wouldn't mind waking up to this.

My snort and shake of head draw the others' attention, `What is it, Ranchan?'

`Just thinking that I would not be disagreeable to waking up like this in the future.'

`Oh,' Utchan smiles, then glances down, then up at the wall, `I wouldn't mind it either.'

`You,' a flash of anger, `I wouldn't mind either. Guess we're all a bunch of two-timing perverts.'

I glance at my fingers and try to count.

`You know what I mean!' she scolds mildly, softening her words with a soft kiss that slowly begins to turn more passionate.

Utchan interrupts, `Um, Akane,' she pauses, her eyes closed, `um, where were you last night?'

`Kodachi got into a little bit more trouble than she could handle, but I bailed her out, and well, one thing led to another, and, well,' she breaks off flustered.

`Was she good?' I ask, almost afraid of the reaction I'll get.

`Is rain wet?' her face softens even further, something I hadn't thought possible, `she's so responsive, so passionate,' she sits back a little, pulling her feet underneath herself as she shifts to face us again, `she was a little scared to let me touch her, but she was really brave, and had a very good time, by all indications, at least.'

`Wait,' Utchan sits up as well, her voice and posture angry, `You had sex with Kodachi? Kuno Kodachi? Then you came back here and climbed into _my_ bed?! What is this?!'

`I,' Akane wilts visibly under Utchan's accusing glare, suddenly looking very like she wants to cry.

Fear has a firm grip on my heart, but I start talking anyway, my knees pulled up near my chin and the blanket tucked protectively around, `Yeah, well, a couple days ago, three or so, actually, Akane challenged me. I think she thought I'd back down, and I was tempted, I was really tempted, but I'm me, and I don't back down from nothing. Or anything, or whatever, but, anyway, I was trying to say,'

`Get on with it,' the low growl takes the knots in my guts and knots them again.

`It was to prove which of us was more feminine or somethin', and I thought it was a total crock, but I couldn't back down or nothin', so I accepted, y'know?' an angry growl gets me mostly back on topic, `and anyway, the challenge was to be decided by how many people we could get to have sex with us, as a girl, y'know?'

Utchan falls over. I uncurl and have her cuddled against me before I can think about it. `What?' she breathes softly against my shoulder.

`I thought it was a kinda odd thing fer Akane to come up with, too, but, then she said that, to make sure that I knew what was goin' on an' all, the first bit should be with her. I'd thought sure that this was 'sposed to be with guys 'er somthin', an' I didn't know if I wanted to win a challenge like that, but this, well, if Akane was the kind of pervert that could come up with a challenge like that,'

`What do you mean?' Akane interrupts from where she is pressed comfortingly against Utchan's back.

`What do you think?' I shift my grip, wrapping my arms firmly about Akane, pressing Utchan closer between us, `What kind of girl comes up with a challenge like that? I mean, really? Even if you can't cook, can't swim, have the domestic skills of a hippopotamus, and I look better than you in girly clothes,' Akane growls, but has no leverage, subsiding slowly as Utchan laughs softly between us, `this just takes the cake, you know? Most guys would throw a fit if they heard the girl they're 'sposed to marry was involved in somthin' like that, y'know?'

`Um,' Akane suddenly goes totally limp, so I look up, from where I have Utchan's head tucked under my chin, and she has a look of total shock on her face, `I didn't think of that.'

I blink, then shift to press my chin back against Utchan's hair. `Well, if it'd been guys I'da probably just tried to mess her up'n keep her from having sex with any of 'em, but she asked me. She's just so pretty, y'know?' Utchan nods softly against my chest, so I continue, `So I agreed, and we did, and it was very nice. Then I fell asleep in her bed, and she didn't beat me to a pulp, didn't hardly wiggle, even, and she normally sleeps like she is in a fight, so that was nice too. Then I go and see if Kasumi'd mind, and she didn't, and she was, mmmn,' I can't help but groan softly at the pleasant memory.

`You, and,' Utchan pauses, `Kasumi?'

`Oh, Akane was there too; Kasumi was afraid Akane'd hurt her if she wasn't.'

Akane makes a disgruntled noise, but doesn't deny the charge either.

`You, and Akane, and Kasumi? Where, in the hall?'

`No, the bathroom, then Kasumi's room.' Utchan starts laughing.

`What?'

`Are you sure Nabiki wasn't taking pictures?'

`Pretty sure, 'cause she was all vehement about not wanting to have sex with me, or Akane, or me and Akane, or especially me, Akane, and Kasumi all at once. The way she'd caught her underwear in the zipper of her shorts kinda weakened her argument in my mind, through.' [Might be an urban legend, but my mom has a story of this guy she knows, who was somewhat involved with his girlfriend when the girlfriend's parents came home. He went out the window and over the fence very fast, and somewhere along the way noticed that he'd managed to zip mister happy in his zipper. Details are sketchy at this point, but it was quite painful, and I don't want to theorize how he got his tender parts back out again. --S]

`Really,' Utchan's voice is odd, like she's trying to decide whether to be angry or jealous, or perhaps demand that we let her into this game. Or maybe it's just me being overly optimistic.

`Yeah. Well, after that I went to visit my mother, and she showed me some interesting things,'

`Wait,' Utchan says softly, `You seduced your mother.'

`It's not like I actually remember her from when I was young, and we were both girls, and I initiated it, so, I think, or maybe it's I hope, it's OK. 'Sides, Akane seduced her too, so, if you want, you probably could too, she seems kinda desperate and all.'

`You're right, you are a pervert,' longish pause, `was she good?' I can feel Utchan's lips twitch into the smirk I hear in her voice.

`Very,' I leave one hand on Akane and stroke Utchan's side with the other, `Then you had your wicked,' I cup her buttock with my hand, `skillfully wicked, way with me, then Akane had me again, then Yuka and Sayuri dragged me off to the equipment room this morning, but I didn't like that as much, so I left as soon as they started paying attention to each other instead of me, and, well, Kasumi was quite forward after school, so that was a lot of fun, and then I came over here.'

`And this is in three days?'

`Something like that.'

`I should have known it was something like this.' Utchan's voice is soft, hurt, and she's trying to wiggle out from between Akane and I.

`No.' Akane says forcefully, wrapping her arms around Utchan even more firmly.

`We,' I look up at Akane, and she nods, `Don't want this to end when the challenge is over.' Out of the corner of my eye I see Akane nod again. `We want this, us, to be permanent.'

`You, me, Akane, and how many others?'

`The three of us, definitely, and as many others as all three of us think appropriate,' Akane answers softly, then places a soft kiss at the base of Utchan's neck.

After a moment Utchan relaxes, wrapping her arms around me again, `OK, I'm in.'

`Thank you,' I say, and press my lips against the top of her head.

-

`We,' I gasp, trying weakly to push away the other two girls, `can't do this right now, we,' I break off, basking in the warm touch of Ranma's lips against my breast, and Ukyou's against a more tender part, `have,' moan, `to get to schoooool,' I shudder throughout the last word, skilled fingers doing very distracting things, but I try to fight it off.

`Aww,' Ranma says, letting go of me.

`Let me get some ointment on those scratches,' Ukyou says a little later, tracing one with her fingers.

-

`Tendou Akane,' the PE teacher says, `You will have to stay after school. I need to discuss something with you.'

`But, teacher, I had,' she starts to try and wiggle out of it.

`No excuses.'

`Yes, teacher.'

;

`Hey!' I call out as I enter the shop.

`Yes, Muko-dono?' The old woman is not the person I came by hoping to see, but

`Yeah, I was hoping to talk to Shanpuu, actually.'

`That is an odd thing. What did you want to talk to her about?'

`Um,'

`Oh. You want her to join the harem you and the Tendou girl are building.' She takes a contemplative puff on her pipe.

`Well, I'm not sure, but I was gonna ask her, yeah, um,' I manage.

A moment passes, then, before I can blink, she's struck me in a dozen places. The sudden wash of lassitude and contentment that washes over me is shocking. I blink happily up at the pretty old woman from my comfortable spot on the floor.

`What was that?' I ask, a warmth in my heart that hadn't been there before.

`Shiatsu satiation technique. Most enticing, isn't it?' she asks, her gnarled hand soft against my face.

`Very,' escapes through the remarkable desire to kiss her.

`I'll teach it to you when you've recovered. I'll let you talk to Shanpuu in a couple days. How does that sound?'

`Lovely. When can we start?'

`When you can stand again without leaning on the table.'

-

`Honda-sensei?' I look up at the much taller PE teacher. She was born and raised in the US, which accounts for both her odd teaching style and her great height, almost a hundred and ninety centimeters.

`I know you like both Kuonji and Saotome-kun very much, but you need to be more discreet.'

`How do you mean?' my gaze keeps flashing back to her broad-fingered hands, and I force the contemplation of just how they would feel against my back from my mind.

`I am referring to the scratches on your back,' her eyes flash as they catch my own, a lovely dark color, almost black.

`I know Kodachi got a little out of hand last night,' I break off at the sight of my teacher faulting dramatically. I'd rate it at a 9.5, especially since she wasn't raised in Japan, and I've noticed foreigners just don't fault properly.

`I thought you and,'

I cut her off, `Yeah, we are, but she was just so,' I try to come up with a way to say it, then shake my head, `attractive. Sorta like you,' I fight the urge to fault the moment I realize what I said, managing to curb it to a slight swaying.

`I,' she manages, looking even more stunned, `I'm flattered,' she stands there blinking for a few more moments.

*Baka!* suddenly flashes through my mind. *She's a _teacher_, if anyone found out,* I shudder at the thought of getting another teacher like Matsudaira-sensei, the wizened old letch who'd taught PE at my Junior High since before the Pacific War. `You should be,' I tell her, `and thanks for the warning. I'll try to be more careful about getting marked up.'

I firmly push all my thoughts about her long, hard, muscular body from my mind, step forward, and steal a kiss on her cheek, `I'll see you in school tomorrow, right?'

`Right,' she says softly, her hand cupped against her cheek.

-

`Ranma-kun?' a soft voice calls from above me.

`Yes?' I turn to look for the speaker, slightly startled to see Kunou Kodachi's shapely frame dressed in something other than her school uniform or a leotard. `Nice outfit,' I manage after a little bit. The dark pants and bright green silk shirt bring out highlights I hadn't noticed, both in her eyes and her hair, the overall effect quite stunning.

`Thank you,' she replies, then drops down in front of me, her hands coming to rest almost possessively on my hips, `Akane seems convinced that you and my Ranma-sama are the same person,'

`And?' I shiver, keeping as still as I can with the lovely feeling of her fingers caressing my waist.

`I thought that if that is the case I might interest you in some ice cream,' she breathes into my ear, leaning close, the warmth of her words stroking my neck with featherlight touches.

`Treats,' I start, then pause as I realize just how ragged my breathing has gotten, `are a wonderful start for any relationship,' and I let my hand come to rest on the thick black cotton covering her thigh.

`Good,' and her teeth lightly capture my neck, pulling firmly as she slowly shakes her head very slightly from side to side.

-

`Hey, Ukyou?'

`Yeah?'

`You know where Ranma got off to?'

`Nope. Perhaps where you got off to last night?'

`I hope not.'

`Why?'

`'Cause I want her here,' there is almost a whine to my voice, which I regret instantly. To cover it I quickly offer, `Would you like any help cooking?'

Ukyou shudders, but quickly tries to cover for it, `No, but if you could bus the tables that'd help quite a bit. Ranma did it yesterday.'

I nod, and start gathering plates, still fuming over that shudder. My cooking isn't that bad! Ranma only turns green anymore . . . Ranma also likes being bitten so hard that she bruises. Hmm.

After six times through the bus/wash cycle I come forth with the question, `Hey, how did you learn to cook?'

-

I let the touch of her hand on mine distract me slightly from my ice cream, leaving just enough of my attention on it that it can't escape by melting, and no one will be able to steal it.

`So, you are the same person as my Ranma-sama?'

`I only told you that a couple times before,' I smile to lessen the sting of my words.

`How is it possible?'

I glance around the room to make sure no one is after my ice cream, `Well, almost a year ago now, we, me and kusooyaji, went to China to train. One of our last stops was a famous training ground called Juusenkyou. That was about all kusooyaji knew about the place, which is also known as the "cursed springs" and "pools of sorrow." Whatever falls into one of the pools takes the form of whatever drowned there first, at least until they are hit with hot water, at which they revert. They return to their cursed form with cold water. Damn pain in the neck.'

`I should think. One moment you are a cute young man, and the next you're a gorgeous young woman, with no warning at all.'

`Pretty much. I've gotten to the point that I can tell when cold water's gonna get me, most of the time. Can't do nothin' about it, but I can feel it coming.'

`That must be difficult.'

`Got that right,' I trace her fingers with my right hand, then pick up my spoon to give my ice cream the attention it needs before it melts. After a short while I finally divine the reason she said she did not need her own, and offer her a spoonful.

Her eyes soften, glittering slightly, as she leans forward. A tiny driblet tries to escape down her chin as I pull the spoon out from between her lips. I lean forward, engulf it with my mouth, and carefully lick it, making sure her face is clean when I pull back. I'm shocked to note the glitter has spread, sliding slowly down her cheek.

I set the spoon down, catch the slow moving tear with my fingertip, `Why?'

`No one,' she gulps, looking down, `has,' she shakes her head, silent. Baffled, I lick the tear off my finger before offering her another bite of the ice cream. She takes it, and several more, before her tears abate.

I take a bite myself, then prompt, `No one has?'

`Before yesterday, nobody's ever been so nice to me.'

`That can't,' I try to say, but she cuts me off,

`Akane and you,' she pauses to take the proffered ice cream, `seem to actually care for _me_, the person, not the gymnast, not the rich girl, not the cold hearted bitch that my classmates admire so much, just me,' and she starts crying again.

Distraught, I slide over in the booth, slipping around the corner to where she is sitting, and pull her firmly against me, tucking my arm around her waist and drawing her head down to rest on my shoulder. `Shhh,' *What, how, what do I do?* `I'll be here as long as we both can stand each other, how's that sound?'

She sniffles, `Good,' pressing her face more firmly against my neck. I stroke her hair softly, watching the last dozen bites of the ice cream slowly melt, and wishing that I had more hands, because I know that the treat would at least help calm me otherwise, and I don't want to cry in public, even in a back-corner booth in a small ice cream parlor far from the normal haunts of my fellow students. I blink back the stinging in my eyes, the tightness in my solar plexus gnawing at me with dogged persistence.

`Let's get some more ice cream into you, it'll make you feel better, OK?'

`If you think so,' she says in a small voice, not moving.

`I know so,' I loosen my grip, but don't let go entirely, `Up.'

She pulls herself back, and I pull the ice cream closer with my left hand before unwrapping my right from around her waist.

`Ahh,' I tell her, and she obediently opens her mouth. I feed her a bite, then myself, pleased by the familiar calming effect of the ice cream. After a very short while the ice cream is gone, and I carefully scrape the melted dregs from the dish as Kodachi leans firmly on my right side, her left arm around my waist and her head, somehow, tucked under my arm. Her position doesn't look at all comfortable, but she seems happy with it, so . . .

-

`Ukyou?'

`Yeah?'

`Why'd you do it?'

`It?'

`Why'd you decide to be nice to Ranma?'

-

The sun is sending long slanting rays towards our booth when Kodachi wakes up. I stroke her face gently with my the knuckles of my free hand.

`Where?' she asks, snuggling against me.

`Ice cream shop, still.'

`How long?'

`Hours.'

`Why didn't you wake me?' her face looks so soft, so open . . .

`You seemed to need the nap, so I left you to it. I like watching you, anyway.'

`Thanks,' she blushes and glances down, and I wonder where this young woman in my arms came from, since she is certainly not the one who regularly chases me about.

`You're welcome. We should probably be on our way.'

`Probably,' she smiles as she says the word, then stretches up, kissing me on the lips, her own slipping open against mine. I respond before I think about it much, her warm body pressing hard against me.

A loud thump from the table as we bump it startles me, and we break the kiss. I look at her in shock, desire burning in my veins.

`Elsewhere?' she asks, her hand on my arm.

`Elsewhere,' I agree, a little shakily. She leads me out, after dropping a few bills on the table. It looks to me like a hundred percent tip, but that's probably good, considering how long we sat there.

-

`We're closing up in a little bit, right?' I ask, bringing yet another set of plates back to wash.

`Yeah, another twenty minutes or so.'

`Good,' I say, then shut the plates in the washer and run it. A few moments later they're done, and I slide them out to dry. Reentering the main room I slip behind the counter to give Ukyou a hug, then gather the next round of plates.

-

I lean firmly against the taller young woman, watching the sunset on the river, her hands wrapped about my shoulders, tucking me close.

The touch of her against me is maddening, desire pulsing through me in waves that shake me on my feet. I hold her, wondering about the mess I've gotten myself into recently. She seems so different like this.

-

`That's the last of them, right?'

`Right.'

`Good.' I step forward and pull her down to me, capturing her lips for a blissful eternity as her tongue dances with my own. I want this girl so.

She breaks the kiss, `After we finish cleaning up. I'll get the Noren, you wipe the tables, and I'll get the grill while you finish the last batch of plates, OK?'

`Right,' I start gathering the final batch of dishes.

-

`So, what shall we do next, kawaiikochan?'

I blink at the description, then smile up at her, `I don't know. We could go to Ukyou's, she'd feed us.'

`Won't she be upset to see us together like this?'

`If you are like this I don't think she'd mind. It's when you get all,' I chase the word around in my head for a while before I catch it, `aggressively violent that you scare me, at least.'

Kodachi makes a contemplative noise, looking a little down.

`She'll probably feed you, so, you coming?'

`Sure,' she seems happier, so I let it drop.

-

`What ever shall we do with you,' Ukyou murmurs, watching the mess I've made. Looking around, I think I can see part of why no one ever wants me to cook anything.

`The toast at least is OK.' I manage, indicating the plate with the remaining six slices.

`Yes, but how did you do this?'

`I don't have a clue. One moment I was being very careful to do nothing more than stick bread in the toaster, wait for it to pop up, and then stick it on the plate, and then I just had to do more, so I started to try and make, I think, cinnamon toast, and then,' I indicate the mess, sugar, or at least I think it was sugar, several different types of brown powder, and three different types of oil splashed liberally about the small kitchen. `I really don't remember how this happened.'

`Don't remember? How could you not remember?'

`I don't know. It's like it just went black, and then I'm staring at the mess as you come into the room. One of my great-grandfather's friends would go into what he called black rages when he drank, and wouldn't be able to remember anything about what happened while he was like that. Maybe I just shouldn't cook.'

`Or perhaps you should have someone watch over you while you do.' A warm, caring voice says from the doorway.

`Kodachi?' I gasp, spinning to look.

`'N me,' Ranma catches both of us when I almost knock Kodachi off her feet.

`Hey, why don't I get a greeting like that outa you?' Ukyou grumbles from the center of her small kitchen.

`'Cause you weren't gone all day,' I tell her, twisting a little bit to look at her, but not letting go of Kodachi.

`Oh, is that it?' she says in a dry tone, then wraps her arms around all three of us. I grunt slightly when she squeezes the air from my lungs. Kodachi makes a small distressed noise, and Ukyou loosens her grip.

After a little she lets us go, `I think we should clean up this mess, hmm?'

`Ya think?' Ranma muses, looking at the horrible mess.

-

As diligent scrubbing finally begins to make a dent in the horrible mess Akane's attempt to make cinnamon toast left, I notice Kodachi getting less and less comfortable. After a little while I finally decide to ask her what's wrong, so I swipe one last time at the lump of caramelised sugar I've been working on, soak it again with the rag, and wonder just how Akane manage to stick it to the wall.

`Um, What's bothering you?'

She just shakes her head at me.

`I can tell something is troubling you, so, could you tell me what it is?'

She looks down, but says nothing.

`Is it the way we're acting?' I glance towards Utchan and Akane, who are taking advantage a small break to indulge in a little bit of making out.

`No, I don't know what it is, but something is bothering me, and I can't figure out what it is, so I can't tell you.'

`Ah, one of those. I could take you home if you want me to,'

`No, please,' She looks a little scared.

`Tendouke?'

`That would be acceptable.'

`Then so it shall be.'

-

`Drat,' I mutter into Utchan's neck, `I was hoping for a chance with both of you.'

`Perv,' she murmurs into my hair, then presses a soft kiss against it.

-

`Akane's room'd probably be best, since Oyaji's a real pain. I'd like to check in with Kasumi, if that's OK?'

`Go ahead,' I lead her up the stairs and let her into Akane's room, then walk over to Kasumi's door. I lift my hand to knock when I hear a faint sound, so I stop and lean a little closer to the door. After a moment I figure out what the noise is, and step back, my face warming.

I duck into Akane's room quickly, closing the door behind me.

`Did she say something to embarrass you?'

`She didn't, no. It's just that she's a little involved right now, and I think I recognize the other woman's voice,' although I don't know why knowing that person is my mother is so shocking.

`Oh, and who might that be?' Kodachi has a small smile to accompany the question.

`It isn't my place to tell you that. You could ask Kasumi, if you really want to know.'

`Oh, involved like that.'

`Yes, like that, what were you thinking?'

`I just have a hard time picturing Kasumi as that kind of person.'

`What kind of person is that?' I step closer to her, `This kind?' I stretch up to kiss her on the lips.

She melts, sliding around me, pressing me softly back into Akane's bed. I reach up, wrapping my arms around her surprisingly solid form, pulling her against me. She wiggles slightly, pressing me back against the soft mattress, and I shift to wrap my legs around her hips, feeling the softness of her through several layers of fabric. She moans softly, her hips rocking slowly against mine, and I bite my lip at the feeling.

`How about we get you undressed?' we say in unison.

I break, `First time I've had that happen,' I manage to laugh.

`I'll take that as a "fine with me",' Kodachi pulls back a little bit, supporting both of us with one hand, while the other wiggles between us to undo the frogs on my shirt. I let my arms relax, falling back against the bed with a faint thump.

Less encumbered Kodachi pulls back a little further, a soft smile gracing her face as she opens my shirt one frog at a time, pausing between each one to run soft fingers over the skin she's exposed. I press up against her hands, a faint contented moan trying to escape every time she touches me again. I let part of it out, but not all, quite sure that I don't want the other denizens of this house to find me like this.

When she finally gets my shirt open she pulls it gently from my pants, stroking it back to lay at my side. I smile at the look of open lust on her face, perversely comforted by it.

She leans forward, her shirt soft and cool against my skin as she trails kisses down my face, nibbling lightly at my neck, then faint, almost imperceivable nibbles across my collarbone and breast. Her teeth slide frictionless against my nipple, and I clamp my wrist in my teeth to keep quieter as she shifts against me, pressing a softly rounded thigh against my clothed vulva.

A short eternity later I manage to get things back together far enough to speak again, `May I?' I ask, reaching up to catch the bottom frog on her shirt.

`Please,' she breathes softly.

I don't take the time or care that she put into the task, quickly stripping her shirt off, then wiggle free of my own.

Pulling her lovely weight back down on top of me I ask, softly, `May I touch you?'

`What do you think you're do . . . Oh, yes, please, touch me,' confusion turns to lust mid sentence.

`Thank you,' I untie her belt, letting go of her with my legs so I can shift down a little further against her. Her skin is so soft to the touch, and I trace small entranced circles on her thigh, trying to keep from getting too distracted by the soft sway of her breasts, shifting with the force of her breath.

Finally I declare it a lost cause and catch one of them against my face, first glorying in the soft touch of it on my skin, then catching her nipple between my lips.

Her soft moan brightens momentarily into a sharp gasp when my questing fingers find her underwear, which, I note with a touch of pleasure, are boxers. I slip my fingers under the waist band, pressing soft curls against softer skin, then she murmurs a delightful, `yes,' as they come into contact with her labia. I guide them through the wonderful slick warmth of her lubricant, then lightly stroke her clitoris with gentle fingers. She groans, rocking her hips against me, pressing my fingers between our bodies.

Almost instantly she orgasms, her full weight settling down on top of me, and I wrap my free arm across her back to hold her close to me.

*-*   
\---   
log: 1999 June middle: re-read Gratuity, started   
1999 July 5: added log  
2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.   
2017 July 9: Edited for posting to AO3


	7. Day 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff, fluff, fluffy fluff.
> 
> And Ryouga gets beat up by Akane.

Genom Research Presents A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day Five:

I wake, pressed under the warm weight of my beloved, and wonder for a moment where I am, who's futon this is, then realize that it's Ukyou's, and her shop, and her waist I've still got my legs wrapped around. She wakes with a soft shriek, calming quickly as I run soft hands over her shoulders.

`Hey, it's OK, I'm here, it's OK,' I whisper over and over as her breathing slows.

`Thanks,' she murmurs at last, `I don't think I've ever had that happen before.'

`What, screaming about waking up with a girl in your bed?'

`Exactly,' she bends down to kiss me, and I capture her invading tongue between gentle teeth, stroking my own against it. After a few moments I let her have it back, and she nibbles lightly at my nose in retaliation. I'm sure the goofiest happy look is on my face.

-

`You sure you'll get to school on time? I can be late if I need to be.'

Kodachi smiles that wonderful smile I've been seeing recently, and I glory for a moment in the warm happy feeling it generates. `I'll be fine, I'll change when I get to school, and they won't hassle me too much.'

`I'll feel better if you let me walk with you,' the words are out of my mouth before I can censor them.

`Thanks, I'd like that, if it isn't any trouble,' and her choice of phrase lets me know it is only a token protest.

Her arm brushes my shoulder every few steps the first little bit, then she turns to me with a mischievous look on her face, `Race you,' before taking off, bounding onto the closest rooftop before I can fully parse the words, then to a next before I can begin to respond.

Her three house lead has shrunk to not quite three meters by the time we get within sight of St. Hebereke, and I overtake her at the very end.

`You went easy on me,' she gasps accusingly.

`Me?' I ask, my breathing quite steady, `Guess so.'

`Thanks,' she touches my shoulder before stepping though the gate. I glance at the flurry of students and suppress the urge to cuss, then take off at full speed for Fuurinkan.

The gate is just closing as I leap the wall, and once more I have reason to be thankful that the third floor windows are never latched. I'm only a few moments late, all told, and Hinako-sensei just scowls at me.

`I'll need to talk to you after class, young person,' she growls. [the phrase often translated as young man / young woman / whippersnapper, `wakai mono' is lit. `young thing', and has no gender at all ^_^ --S]

`Hai, sensei.'

-

`Well, Ranma, did you have fun?'

`Of course, didn't you?'

`Yeah, but I noticed a lack of marks on you, so I thought I'd ask.'

`One doesn't need to get hurt to have fun, it just makes it easier.'

`Oh?'

`Yeah.'

-

`Come with me,' Akane says, her voice harder than normal. I wonder for a moment what she's up to, then follow.

-

She smiles as I turn to look at her, the most lovely look on her face. I hope she'll like this.

-

She leads me where I rather expected her to, and I wonder for a moment why this storage room always seems to be empty, other than us sukebe, that is.

She opens the door, grabs me by the arm, and practically throws me into the room. I skid a little bit on my feet, then turn to look at her, warm tingling feelings flowing through my body like honey or something. Maybe motor oil, if it wasn't so greally. I smile at her, desire burning softly through my veins as I watch her approach.

`Down, on the mat,' she tells me.

I blink at her tone, `Akane?'

`Do it,' she growls, sounding almost like Ryouga when he's trying to kill me again.

`Are you OK?' I reach for her, wondering if this could be why I'm feeling such agitation from her.

The slap is completely unexpected. It catches me across the face, knocking me off my feet. I stay down, not wanting to provoke her as I try to figure out what is going on.

-

I glance at my hand, shocked at what I just did. Ranma has her face cupped in her hand, a scared look on it.

`Why?' the voice is so small for a moment I wonder if it is mine. A moment disabuses me of that notion, as Ranma starts to cry softly, quiet tears dripping down her face.

-

It takes me a long moment to realize why my face is wet, and I look down when I finally do. Akane is quiet, her silence making the cold lump wrapped around my heart grow heavier and tighter with each passing moment.

-

I stand there, stunned, unable to move, as my thoughts run in small circles, chasing swirls through my mind, with no indication that they will ever stop.

This deadlock breaks when Ranma slumps to the mat, her shoulders starting to shake as she sobs. A few words, a slap, and she's crying. I feel sick when I realize what the feeling in my chest is. Part of me is happy, for I've finally beaten her, but most of me is yelling and screaming to do something about the horribly lost look on her face.

I drop to my knees beside her, then place a hand on her shoulder to try and gather her up against me.

She shivers, then rolls back, away from my touch, `What do you want? You willing to talk now?'

`Please,' I look at her again, note that her face is once again its normal pale cream, `Tell me what's wrong?'

`You should be smart enough to figure that out, but, you drag me off to here, giving off agitated vibes like they're going out of style, then throw me in, and that's all fine. Then,' she shakes her head, tears falling in picturesque arcs.

I slip over closer to her, and this time I manage to gather her into my arms. She struggles a little bit, then relaxes. I stroke her hair, `Then?'

She snuggles closer to me, her face tucked to my neck, `The words carry weight that mere battery can't. I can cope with people beating on me a whole lot easier than I can with you just calling me a pervert, or with what you just said, although the way you said it was worse than what was said. The slap was just the icing on the cake, you know?'

I stroke her back with soft hands, `It was just a game, I didn't mean it, I thought you'd like it,' now I'm almost sobbing, so I press my face to her neck.

`That only works if I know that it's a game. You didn't bother to tell me anything about it, so all I could think is that,' she shakes her head against my shoulder, `I don't know what to think. Please, just don't do that again without making sure that I know it's a game, OK?'

I nod, my chin brushing against her back. She relaxes a little bit, wrapping her arms around me.

-

Akane relaxes as I hug her tightly, very glad to have this worked, at least a little bit, out.

I shift, pressing my face to her neck, kissing her softly, the warm tingly feeling of arousal filling me again, and I press her back against the mat.

`If this is OK,' I ask, stroking her side through her thin blouse.

-

I look up at her through my lashes, a faintly queasy feeling in my gut. I want to be close to her, but I don't know if I want this right now.

`Let me just hold you, OK?'

-

I nod, just a little disappointed, before wrapping her more firmly in my arms. I smile at her, then tuck my head back under her chin and close my eyes.

-

`Saotome-kun, this behavior cannot continue.'

`What behavior, sensei?' I ask the small woman in front of me, one of the very few people smaller than I am.

`This taking off from class to play with your friends. If it weren't for the fact that you are a very responsible young person I'd be very worried by this.'

`And why is that?'

`One of my friends from school would sneak out of class to spend time with her boyfriend, when I was in high school. Actually, several of my friends would, but only one of them told me that she got pregnant. There was quite an uproar, and she eventually aborted the child. She didn't take it very well,' Hinako-sensei has an unusually serious look on her face, `And I really would prefer not to have to try to help anyone deal with that, OK?'

`If I was doing something like that, I'd be careful, but I ain't, so I ain't, OK?'

`Gotcha. I haven't seen you as a boy all week, I wonder why,' she smiles a funny smile.

I watch it for a moment, trying to figure out what it means, `Oh,' I say, suddenly knowing she's letting me know that she knows. I nod, `Indeed.'

Hinako-sensei nods back, then turns to go.

`Wait, I got somthin’ I'd like to show you.'

`What is that?'

`Oh, I learned a new shiatsu technique from Shanpuu's great-grandmother recently. I thought you might be interested.'

She looks up at me, considering.

I give her my best "trust me" smile.

`Sure, I'll bite,' she replies, what seems to be a "let's see what the trap is" look on her face.

`I'd prefer just a little bit more privacy.'

`What, gonna have your wicked way with the poor defenseless teacher?'

`No, how could you even,'

She cuts me off with a laugh, `Thought so,' then bounces along towards her office.

The office is tiny, cluttered with books, papers, and manga. I glance at the manga, recognizing a few of them.

`So, what is this technique Ranma-kun?'

I note the less formal address, `It's been an Amazon secret for over a thousand years, she said, and was originally developed to incapacitate one's enemies, which it does pretty well.'

`Oh?'

`Here,' I strike a dozen spots in less than two seconds, then step back a little bit as she sags back against the desk.

`Oh,' she murmurs softly, `I can see why, this feels absolutely wonderful,' she lets her head fall backwards a little bit, a soft smile on her face.

`Doesn't it?' I lean back against her door, the knob pressing against my ribs.

`What's it called?'

`Obaba called it a shiatsu satiation point.'

`As in sexual, I'd guess,' her smile quirks up a little, and she snorts softly.

`Yeah. What's the snort for?'

She shakes her head, then bites her lip and looks up at me, `I really shouldn't be talking to you about this, but,' she looks down at her twisting hands.

`You don't have to, and really shouldn't if you don't want to.'

`I want to talk to someone, and you volunteered, so,' she shakes her head again, `You know my physiology is a little odd, right?'

`That's kinda obvious, you know,' I smile to try and lessen any sting to the words.

`Well,' she looks down again, `this is so embarrassing,' she brings her head up to look me straight in the eyes, `I can't stay in my other form long enough to get off, and while it feels quite fine to touch myself in this one I never get anywhere, just a building sense of anticipation about something that I've never felt.'

I blink at her, sure that if I had this kinda problem I'd never talk to anyone about it at all.

`My friends in school would go on and on about how nice it was, but I'd always kinda figured they were exaggerating,' her smile turns crooked, `Guess they weren't.'

`The satiation spot isn't as nice as having sex with someone who loves you, but it is better than, apparently, a lot of women ever experience, just from the stats I've seen.'

`Well, that's a bit of a comfort,' her smile twitches a little, quirking up to one side, `So, can you teach me?'

`Sure, I can, but you'd probably do better to learn it from Obaba, she's less likely to scramble it, since I only learned it yesterday.'

`Ah,' she looks down, `Um, Ranma,'

I blink at the even more familiar address.

`Could you do that again?' when she looks up at me her eyes are large and soft, a faint quaver to her voice as she speaks, a longing.

`Sure,' my fingers dance over her again, and she sags softly against the desk, `Um, could I ask a personal question?'

`Sure,' she giggles, `You've already got me begging for more, so why not?'

`What were you sick with?'

`The doctors had no idea. I was just wasting away, and they couldn't find anything wrong with me.'

`And then Happosai came along, and you just as mysteriously got better.'

`Yep,' she smiles softly, lazing against the desk like a nice, fat, happy lizard.

`Then maybe we could reverse Happosai's process and you'd be normal again.'

`Or more normal.' Hinako looks contemplative, `That takes a month, right?'

`Yeah.'

`And, at least it seems, if we stop early things just stay the same.'

`So it would appear.'

`Lets do it. Worst case, we don't notice that whatever was eating me is still around until after the month's out, and I have a few years as an almost normal adult to spend.'

`You sure?'

`Yeah, I'm sure.'

I step up close to her, then press my fingers to the trigger spots, four on her buttock and three on her breast. After a moment I let them go.

She shakes herself, then turns back to face me, `Thank you, Ranma,' she tells me, then leans forward and plants a kiss on my lips, her own staying closed.

`Don't mention it,' I tell her, brushing my lips with my fingers.

-

`Hey,'

I turn to look at Utchan. *when did I start calling her that?*

`We need to talk about this, so, could I take you out someplace, buy you dinner?'

`That'd be fine.'

`Good; I knew Ranchan wouldn't turn down food, but I wasn't so sure about you.'

-

`We're going to a nice restaurant, so I'd like you to dress up for it.'

`We?' I ask Utchan, curious.

`You, me, Akane.'

`What kind?'

`Normal Japanese food.'

`OK. When?'

`Seven.'

`You'll come by to pick us up?'

`Of course.'

-

`Good Afternoon!' Kodachi greets us, a happy note to her voice. She drops lightly from the wall to the sidewalk in front of us.

I smile in instinctive reply, remembering the wonderful feel of her body under mine.

`Good afternoon, Kodachi-chan,' Ranma greets, stepping into the tall girl's personal space. With a soft smile she stretches up to kiss the point of her jaw.

Kodachi's face almost melts, she seems so happy.

Not to be outdone I step forward, then enfold them both in a tight hug. Ranma twists a little in my arms and plants a wonderful, soft, lingering kiss against my shoulder, then Kodachi kisses my cheek.

All three of us stagger as my knees go weak.

-

Akane's stagger at Kodachi's kiss is just too much, and I break into soft giggles. Kodachi joins me almost instantly, and then Akane a few moments later. I clutch both young women firmly, wonderfully happy.

After a while Akane loosens her grip, so I step back a little and ask, `What brings you by, Kodachi-chan?'

`I wanted to see the both of you. I was hoping perhaps we could do something together, or something,' her soft voice drops to almost inaudible as she speaks.

`Hmm, Utchan asked us on a date this evening, but I don't think she'd mind if you came along. I'll call when we get home, OK?' Akane rests one hand on Kodachi's shoulder, her thumb making small circles on her collarbone. I wonder if she knows she's doing it.

`Thank you,' Kodachi's eyes glimmer, and her voice quavers a little bit.

I wrap her in a firm hug, `Don't mention it.'

-

`Hey,'

`Akane?'

`Yep. Kodachi met us on the way home, and we're wondering if she can come with us this evening?'

`Mmm,' I can almost hear her thoughts running around trying to find a way out, `Sure, that'd be great.'

The real enthusiasm in her voice shocks me, and so it takes me a little bit to find my train of thought, `Thanks, this means a lot to her.'

`What got into her, do you know? She's normally so brash and haughty, and now she seems so meek.'

`Those guys, they had her pinned and one of them already had his pants open.'

`oh. Shit. You did hurt them really bad, right?'

`Took one out with a steel can to the forehead, the one with his pants open took a hit to his back near his kidney, broke most of one's ribs, shattered another's thigh, and broke both of the last one's arms. They should be out of trouble for a little while.'

`That's good,' Utchan's voice says that she's not so sure.

`Kodachi's good, and they looked like they'd done this before.'

`True,' Utchan's voice is soft, `I'll be by at seven. Wear something you can fight in, since we won't have time to take a bus if we're gonna make our seven thirty reservation.'

`And you can call and tell them it'll be four?'

`Thanks, wouldn't want to forget. Ja ne,' she says, then softer, `Suki yo.'

`Ja ne,' I hang up the phone, a pleasant warmth in my belly.

-

Kasumi and my mother aren't quite making out at the kitchen table as I prepare a small snack for the five of us, but it is a really close thing. The two of them are sitting really close, thighs and shoulders brushing as they pretend to look over a cookbook, hands fluttering easily over each other. Kodachi watched for a while as I got things out, then she decided to help me.

Or something. I let my head loll back, brushing against her shoulder, as she steps up close behind me again, pressing me up against the counter as she reaches to add the celery to the small stir-fry I'm working on.

`Ranma,' she says, in a very soft voice, `I,'

I stir the food for a few minutes, waiting, as she just stands behind me, holding me close.

`I think it's done,' I say at last, giving the food one last stir before turning it off. I walk carefully towards the door of the kitchen, making sure that Kodachi can easily accompany me.

Akane enters before I can get ten steps, `Food done yet?' she asks, bending to give me a firm kiss. I gasp when she breaks it, getting a faceful of shirt when she stretches slightly to kiss Kodachi, `Feeling OK?'

`Yes,' Kodachi says, `Since I'm with you,' the sincerity in her voice wrenches at me.

-

I can't help it, I start to cry at her words. I pull her towards me, getting a protesting squawk from Ranma, who squashes pleasantly between us.

I let go quickly, then Ranma pulls us both back into a hug.

-

`Yeah, I know, it's a little silly, but I can't help it. I just ain't used to anyone telling me that, OK?' I hide my face against Kodachi's shirt, surprised at the extreme reaction I'm having to her simple words. *Really, someone telling you they love you shouldn't make you cry. It didn't before.*

`I used to say it all the time, and you never cried then,' she prods gently.

`I guess I just didn't believe you then.'

A sudden strangled noise makes me look up, and I just catch a glimpse of shimmer before she presses her head to my shoulder.

`Shh, it's OK, I'm here, shh. I won't let anyone I can stop hurt you, ever, OK?'

`Thank you,' she manages, her voice a little choked.

`HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO AKANE?!?' a familiar voice yells from behind me.

-

I look up at the shouted words, `Ryouga-kun! Where have you been?'

He ignores me completely, charging towards Ranma, `FOR THIS I'LL KILL YOU!!'

Ranma disengages herself gently from Kodachi, pausing to kiss her on the forehead as she stands, `Akane's right here, maybe you should ask her.'

`YOU!'

Ranma dodges a quick punch, `Let's take this outside where we won't destroy the house, OK?' and leaps out the window.

`SHI SHI,'

I step in between Ryouga and the window.

`AKAne,' Ryouga's roar falters in mid-word.

`What are you doing?' I ask him, `Can't I sit in my own room with two of my own girlfriends without someone barging in to try and kill one of them? And in my name, no less?'

`I'm gonna punish that two-timing slime,' he growls, starting to step around me.

`It's more than that by now, but,' I step to block him as he growls and sets himself to charge forward, `what is it you have against Ranma anyway? I thought he tormented you, but even when he doesn't you're a real creep anyway.'

`I, I, I, He,' Ryouga stammers incoherently.

`What, did he steal your girlfriend?'

Ryouga's eyes roll back in his head and I have to step out of the way as he falls over.

-

`What was that?' Akane asks as I hop back in the window, vaguely amused by the sight of Ryouga passed out on the floor.

`He thinks he's in love with you,' I tell her, `And he followed me to China and pretty much blames me for everything that happened there and since.'

`Oh,' she says, `I'll have to talk to him more when he wakes up, then.'

`That'd probably be good. Try not to kill him, he's just scared, not really evil.'

Akane gives me a funny look, then walks out of the room.

I sink down next to Kodachi, `I'm sorry 'bout this, I really try to avoid the fights.'

`It's OK, you are really good, and I know you'll be safe,' and she leans forward and kisses me.

-

`I can't believe that that, that, that, pervert! would think I'd,' I seethe loudly as I storm down the street towards Utchan's. A car honks at me, so I turn to glare at it, quite gratified when it coughs and dies, leaving its owner to try and get it started again.

Ranma's words from earlier echo in my head, *he's a little dense, yeah, but who didn't notice that her pet pig and her friend the wandering martial artist had such striking similarities?* *she's right. What else am I missing?*

-

`Hey, P-chan, we should have you back to normal in another six changes or so, but really, did you have to say that? You know how she gets when she's annoyed, right?'

`Yeah, but,' ^Splash^ `bwee,' ^Splash^ `How was I to know she'd get so,' ^Splash^

`Perhaps the same way you knew better than to actually tell her how you felt?'

^Splash^ his femur has almost completely healed now, `But I didn't, I was just,' ^Splash^

`Afraid she wouldn't like you and call you a pervert?'

^Splash^ *good, the hard tissue damage is healed* `But,' ^Splash^

`You might want to get lost for a little while. She'll calm down, don't worry.'

The little black pig nods sadly, then gets to his feet and walks out the door. I blink in shock.

-

`Utchan,' I whine, stepping behind the counter and wrapping my arms around the tall girl, `Did you know that Ryouga,' I sniffle a little, and shift to keep from leaking on her clean shirt, `is P-chan?'

`You didn't?'

`Would I have let him sleep in my bed if I did?'

`So you're not as much of a pervert as I thought. How disappointing,' she turns to one of the customers, `Hai, o-machi.'

I can't help it; I start laughing at her tone. After a few minutes I let her go and step back, `Thanks.'

`Glad I could help. You planning on wearing that?'

I glance down at my outfit, then up at the clock, `I might have too, I don't have time to get home.'

`Try upstairs, in my closet, box labeled "Girl's clothes," something in there'll probably fit.

`Oh? And who did they belong to?'

`Girls I went out with. They kept leaving things, and after the first three or four I stopped trying to give them back.'

`Hun.'

-

`So, how does that fit?'

`Pretty good. The waist is a little tight, but the rest is fine.'

I stroke my fingers along the seams, trying to gauge the stress, `It should hold,' I continue to stroke her, lightly entranced by the way she trembles.

`Do you like it?'

`I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't, but, yeah, it looks really good on you,' I smile at her as I meet her eyes in the mirror.

-

Some of the clothes are large, probably too big even for Kasumi, while others are tiny, and I wonder how many girlfriends my Utchan has had. *and, while we're at it, how well she knew them.*

*This* I hold the small, reddish purple dress up, *is wonderful. Why was it left here?*

I look it over carefully, then stand near the mirror to get a feel for whether I can wear it.

It looks good, so I give it a good sniff to make sure Utchan's washed it, *Good, just soap.*

-

`Mmm, and what are you going to wear?'

`I don't know. That black one just looks so good on you,' I shake my head, running my scant wardrobe through my head.

`How about this green one?' Kodachi pulls a long-skirted almost Chinese style dress out of the closet.

*Where did this come from?* I take it from her hands, turning to look in the mirror, *probably a larger one would be nice, but* I shift and wiggle, managing to get a fair idea of what the dress looks like. *Maybe the old woman got it for me, or Shanpuu. Either would be good*

`Very nice,' Kodachi interrupts my train of thought, reaching to finger the thick quilted silk brocade.

`Yes, I think so too,' I shuck down, pleased by the entranced way Kodachi's eyes follow my every move. The dress fits perfectly, just tight enough to show off my quite remarkable curves, yet not so tight as to be really uncomfortable.

`Ara,' her voice is soft and almost reverent.

I turn to face her, `So you like it?'

`Yes, although,'

`Although?'

`The slits might be a little high, your boxers show.'

`Hmm,' I contemplate that, running my finger up my hip, checking that *gyah. quite a lot of them, too* `What do you suggest?'

`Well, you could just do without any underwear at all,' the crooked half-smile on her face tells me what she thinks of that idea.

I shudder, `I ain't givin' the sukebe who always attack me that kinda show.'

Kodachi looks down, her hair falling forward to frame her face.

`I don't mean you. Besides, you've already gotten a good look, right?'

The small smile that lifts her face is just wonderful, `Well, I haven't gotten to look up this new dress of yours, and I'm sure it would be an edifying experience.'

`Well, if you put it that way,' I pull my boxers down, then pause to check just how high up my hips the slits actually go. *Not too too high* I take a deep breath to steady myself, then turn to face Kodachi.

She slips her arms around me, soft lips pressing against my neck, then she trails down my body, her nose brushing lightly along one of the front seams.

I gasp, feeling my face heat as she reaches for the front panel of my skirt. `Stop that,' I manage to giggle, batting ineffectually at her hands.

She manages to pull the front panel of the skirt out of the way, and I'm shocked both by how vulnerable the touch of the cool room air on my tender parts makes me feel, and by the amount of comfort I can draw from Kodachi's gentle nibbles on my thigh.

`This,' I manage a slightly shaky breath, `Should probably wait. Lemme get some underwear on, then we should be going.'

`Oh? And what, pray tell, have you decided to wear?' she pauses for a moment, then catches my pubic hair in her teeth, giving a little tug before continuing, `here?'

`Briefs. Lemme go, for a moment, OK?'

`If I must,' she smiles, mild annoyance in her words.

`Please,'

She lets me go, and I glide over to the closet, pulling out the drawer where I keep my underwear. My few pair of women's briefs are where they always are, under the false bottom of the box I keep my hadagi in. Happosai thankfully doesn't go after traditional underwear, so it is sufficient.

The violent edginess dies back as I pull them on, and I I chide myself for being foolish. They provide no real protection at all *sure make me feel safer, though* I bend and twist a little, then pull the material of the dress up my hips a little bit to see how much it would take to expose the black fabric of my briefs. `Good enough.'

`I thought you didn't wear,' a faint hint of a smile, `briefs.'

`Most of the time I don't. Mom made me get some, back when we first re-met.'

`Ah. Do you need to do anything more?'

I check my face in the mirror, *something bigger would really be nice*, and decide it's fine, `Nope, you?'

`I need to brush out my hair, and then I'll be ready,' she smiles softly at me, making no move to get anything.

After a few moments I clue in to her hint, and dig about for my hairbrush. Being a rarely used item, it takes me a while to find it, but I manage eventually. `Would you, may I brush your hair for you?'

`I'd like that a lot.'

I kiss her cheek before I unbind her hair.

-

`What do you think?' I ask when she comes up the stairs.

Utchan just blinks for several moments, `Nice.'

I relax into her touch as she presses a soft kiss against my lips.

\- `Well, what are we going to do about you?'

I look up at my mother, `Do?'

`Yes, you really should not run around on your iinazuke like this,' she smiles at me as she says it, stroking my shoulder with her fingertips.

`Going on a date with my iinauke is not running around on her,' I glance around, to make sure that there isn't anyone other than her, Kasumi, Kodachi, and Shanpuu watching from outside.

`Oh?'

`Yep. Utchan's taking us to a vaguely nice Japanese restaurant.'

`Us?'

`Me, Kodachi and Akane.'

`OK. And why are you doing this?'

`Because I enjoy spending time with all of them.' *just like you enjoy spending time with Kasumi, recently*

`And they're OK with this?'

`They'd be trying to kill me if they weren't, right?'

Kasumi starts giggling, then both Mom and Kodachi start laughing as well.

-

`Let's get going.'

`Yeah,' Utchan looks at something in her drawer, then turns to me, `let's go.'

-

I look up from the yard, towards where Shanpuu is watching us. I finger the short left sleeve of my new dress and raise an eyebrow at her.

She smiles, raising a hand to point at herself.

I smile back, then blow her a kiss.

She blushes prettily.

`Well, are we going to be there on time?' Akane says from behind me.

`I'd think so,' I look out the gate at them.

-

We drop to the ground in a flutter of fabric. Ranma and Kodachi look remarkable, absotively lovely. Utchan's outfit is more masculine, and her chest is bound again, making her a very image of proper Japanese manhood.

`Hey, you OK? You seem a little out of it,' Ranma waves her hand in front of my face.

`Yeah, just got lost in contemplation of my good luck to have you lot.'

-

`You,' I manage, then give up and just give her firm hug.

-

Ranma's hug prompts the other two to join in, and I get firmly squished. *so nice*

With a well-executed show of reluctance Kodachi lets me go, then Utchan, then Ranma, peeling off like layers of an onion.

`Shall we go in?'

-

I can't help but be amused by the way Ranma's sitting, legs crossed, like a boy. Her skirt manages to keep what little modesty she has, but it is close. Utchan is also sitting like a boy, but at least she's dressed like one. Kodachi is still in seiza, reading her menu with a soft smile on her face.

-

Dinner is good, the food not quite as good as Kasumi's, but fairly close. I take ruthless advantage of Utchan's generosity, but she doesn't seem to mind.

`I'd like some more of the rice, and another plate of sushi,' I look at Utchan to make sure she is still willing to fund my bottomless pit.

`And some more tea all round,' Utchan tells her, smiling at me.

I shift slightly in my seat, enjoying the happy feeling that smile brings out in me.

-

`Dancing? Or home?'

`Dancing.' Both Utchan and Ranma chorus, in eerie unison.

Kodachi laughs softly, `That sounds fine with me.'

`So, dancing it is.'

-

I sip slowly at my small glass of ouzo, greatly amused by the sight of Akane dancing with great abandon and more than usual grace, three sheets to the wind. When she gets back I'll have to get some more water down her if she's not going to have a killer hangover in the morning. Both Kodachi and Utchan seem to be showing better sense, Kodachi sticking to soda, and Utchan stopping after the single shot of something that almost made her turn green.

*not sure if I like this stuff* I swirl the clear liquid in the glass *too much thinking about Greek food* I take another sip, swirling the licorice liqueur over my teeth.

-

Utchan catches Akane as she suddenly goes from dancing vigorously to falling in a dead faint.

I'm there before Utchan has a chance to turn around, and help them off the dance floor.

`Is she OK?' Utchan asks me, lifting the young woman onto the bench of our booth.

I answer after a quick check, `Pretty much. Acute alcohol poisoning, probably. She'll be out of it for a while.'

`Then Ukyou-chan can watch her for a little while, and we can dance a little?' Kodachi asks me hopefully.

`If you want. I ain't very good.'

`That's fine,' she brings her face close to my ear, `neither am I.'

-

We stagger down the road, or, a little more accurately, Akane staggers and we try to keep her from falling on her face.

The attempt to get a sufficient quantity of water down her has been a failure so far, but a hangover is good for a person's character. Or at least that's what Oyaji'd tell his friends before fleecin' 'em.

I'm feeling pleasantly tired, Kodachi and Utchan having worked together to keep me on the floor for, near as I can tell, six hours. I twist a little bit, stretching my spine and letting some of the fatigue slip along my muscles in a pleasant ache.

-

`Hey,' Akane slurs, `We jus goin to bed, or we gonna do somthin firs?'

`Just going to bed,' Utchan tells her firmly.

`'K. Night.'

`Good night,' I tell her, then help strip her down and put her to bed. Slipping back to the other side of the room, I look at Utchan and Kodachi with a faint question in my eyes. I'm not quite sure what it is, but.

`Yeah, I think we should just rinse off and go to bed.'

`Together,' Kodachi looks hopefully at Utchan, `Or separately?'

`Together should be fine.'

-

`Hey,' I complain, covering certain parts, `cold water.'

`Please? I don't like cold water, it makes me cold,' Kodachi almost whines at my ear.

`No peeking, then.'

`What, afraid one of us is going to take advantage of you?'

`Um,' I chase the idea a little while, `Um,' *and around it goes again* `No, it's just modesty, I think. Still,' I stay with my back to the other two.

`You're no fun,' Utchan grouses.

-

Kodachi's almost asleep by the time I'm a girl again, and we almost carry her up the stairs.

I'm pretty close to asleep by the time we get Kodachi into bed, and barely have the energy to hold the blanket open for Utchan. I shiver slightly as Kodachi shifts to pull me closer to where she is wrapped around Akane.

Utchan finally climbs in, and wraps her arms around all three of us. I snuggle myself up against her shoulder, then stop fighting to stay awake.

-

Ra/Ak -ouch Ra/Hinako Ra/Ak/Uk date-

-*   
\---

log:   
1999 June middle: re-read Gratuity, started   
1999 July 5: added log   
2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.   
2017 August 14: Spell-checked for posting to AO3.


	8. Day 6: Hangover

Genom Research Presents A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day Six: Hangover

`Morning,' a soft voice greets me. I rub my eyes, then blink, and try to focus on the speaker. A familiar face swims into focus, and then it takes another few moments to identify it.

`Morning, Kodachi.'

`Who's yelling?' a pained voice whispers.

`Sorry,' I whisper to Akane, who winces anyway.

-

`Good thing it is Saturday, otherwise this would really suck,' Ranma tells me much too cheerfully. I groan in agreement, even the sight of three gorgeous bodies, all belonging to people I trust, and readily available, isn't enough to overwhelm the pounding of my head. I press my face to Kodachi's belly, moaning disconsolately.

`I hope this is the first time you've done this,' Utchan tells me in a scolding voice.

`What do you mean?'

`Whell, if it isn't you're a fool.'

`It was so nice, though. It felt like someone had gone and oiled my joints, and I hadn't even noticed they needed it until it was done.'

`How much did that take?' Kodachi asks, her fingers slipping slowly through my hair.

`I noticed it after the third shot of whatever it was.'

`Everclear and coke,' Ranma comments flatly, `You asked for it by name, too.'

`Oh. It's what she orders in the movies all the time.'

`Really? I hadn't caught that,' Utchan says, her hand warm against my back.

`So why did you drink so much?' Kodachi asks me.

`I think at the start I thought that if the first shot made me feel that good, more would be better.'

`Was it?"

`No. I don't remember much after the fourth song.'

`And your twelfth shot,' Ranma grumbles.

`How many did I have?'

`Well, after that you danced with Utchan for a while, then you passed out. We woke you up when they chased us out, and had to leave a tip for whomever got stuck cleaning it up after you vomited on the table. We got you home, and here you vomited again, and went into dry heaves for a little while, then we cleaned you up and put you to bed. Very elegant,' Ranma's voice is disconcertingly angry.

-

`Why are you so angry? I didn't vomit on you, did I?'

`Yeah, but that ain't the problem. This was real stupid, and I'm worried,' I tell her, leaving out the guilt I'm feeling for not stopping her while she was still coherent.

`We're blowing off school today, right?'

`Yep, I think so, since it's already nine.'

`Nine?'

`Nine. I gotta go see Hinako-sensei sometime today, but other than that I'm free. Anyone else have any obligations?'

A mumbled "No" and two shaken heads answer.

`Then what do you want to do today?'

A knock at the window prevents anyone from answering. I turn to look, then climb out of bed and walk over bare to open it.

`Good morning,' greets the purple-haired young woman who slips in, `Would,' she pauses for a moment, apparently searching for a word, `Cute girls like delicious breakfast in bed?' she smiles at me, `Or should breakfast wait until after other activities?'

`Breakfast first,' Utchan says while I'm still being flustered, `Akane drank too much last night, and won't be good for anything until after we've gotten some food into her.'

`That's sad. Maybe she'll know better next time?'

`We can hope.'

-

I reluctantly pry my face from Kodachi's belly. Shanpuu smiles at me, and for the first time I let myself look at her as something other than an enemy.

Apparently she notices, `Does violent pervert girl want a kiss?'

I growl at her, wince as that sends a spike of pain through my skull, then her tone finally catches in the filters. It wasn't the familiar resigned and angry one, but amused and hopeful. I let myself smile with this, `Yes, violent pervert girl wants a kiss,' I tell her, then glance away at the sound of two thumps.

-

I pick myself up from where I faulted, and nearly fault again at the way Akane is smiling, her whole face relaxed. I let myself smile back, then squelch the flash of jealousy as Shanpuu kisses her.

Shanpuu pulls back from the kiss, `What were you drinking last night?'

`I don't really remember--'

`That is no good at all. Drinking too much is one of few things that can bring the whole tribe down on a girl's head. Please, don't do it again.'

Akane blinks, `But everyone else was,' she looks around for support.

`One glass of ouzo, then a lot of soda,' I tell her.

`A shot of whiskey, and a lot of water.'

`Only soda.'

`Then why didn't you stop me?'

*why didn't I?* `You looked like you were having fun at first, then you'd get upset whenever I mentioned it, so I stopped after a couple tries.'

`Don't, next time, OK?'

-

Ranma gives me a contrite look, `OK.'

I look up at Shanpuu, `And why did you want to know?'

`Cause it left a nasty taste in your mouth.'

I blink, sure I'm looking like a beached fish, then break. Everyone else joins in after a moment, and I feel much better. Until I shake my head a little too hard at least.

-

After breakfast I'm really tempted by the prospect of spending this whole Saturday in bed with four lovely young women, but I've promises, so, `I think we should wait until later in the day, after we've gotten any errands dealt with then we can do anything like this that we want to do.'

`Now. Run errands later,' Shanpuu insists, her voice warm against my ear as she holds me firmly in her lap. I hear a little giggle from the other side of the room, and look up at where Utchan and Kodachi have teamed up to tickle Akane. A louder giggle escapes, and I recognize it as Kodachi's, not Akane, who's been ominously silent.

`If I run the errands now, I'll have more time when I get back, and won't have to worry about the time, which might distract me from more important things,' I twist a little so I can kiss her cheek.

`Mmmn, that could be bad,' She leans forward and catches my lips with her own.

All extraneous thoughts drop right out of my head, and I kiss her back, glorying in the lovely texture of her tongue, the slick, sharp-edged hardness of her teeth, the lovely feel of her hard, callused hands on my breasts.

With quite an effort I manage to speak up, `I need to get going now if I'm going to be back.'

`I suppose, if you must.'

`I must,' I wiggle free, then get to fight her insistent hands as I try to get dressed.

By the time I've managed to get my boxers and pants on, the others have noticed our game, and come over to join in the fun.

-

At last Ranma manages to grab the last ankle tie, and run from the room. `Ittekimasu,' she calls, going straight down the stairs in a single leap.

`Itterashai!' I call back, then glance at Utchan's clock. Ten thirty.

`How long will Ranchan's little errand take?' Utchan murmurs, nibbling my throat.

`Don't know,' I manage to gasp, suddenly realizing that my head doesn't hurt any more. `Hangover's gone, so what,'

The sudden touch of several hands under my nightshirt answers that question before I get it fully asked, `This's good.'

-

`Hinako-sensei?' the young woman looks up at me. I blink; her face, while still the same, somehow conveys an age a little closer to her own.

`Ranma-chan! I measured myself this morning, and I'm a whole half-centimeter taller!' she smiles as she leads me once more into her office.

`Overnight? Are you sure?'

`We know my physiology is pretty weird, so it could happen. Doesn't prove anything until I've got some more data, though.'

`Yeah,' I start, then stop when she interrupts me,

`I also managed to get off yesterday, after I got home.'

I blink, surprised that she's telling me this.

`I think part of the problem was that I wasn't fantasizing about the right people, though, so it probably isn't an effect of the treatment.'

`Oh? And if I may be really nosy, who were you fantasizing about?'

`You. I started with you as a guy, but,' she looks down and blushes, `after a while I started thinking about you and Akane-chan, and Ukyou-chan, and almost immediately after that,' she shakes her head, a small smile on her face.

`How long?'

`Not long, twenty or thirty minutes.'

I almost blink, but fault instead, sagging back against the door of her office, `Twenty minutes?'

`Yeah, then another minute or so after I let my attention wander. Why, how long does it take you to get off?'

I let myself slide all the way to the floor, then motion her over closer, `I can't believe I'm telling you this,' I say, then pull her into my lap so I can whisper to her more effectively, `three to five minutes with a good fantasy, ten if I lose it and have to regenerate it, sometimes it just doesn't seem worth it and I give up after about fifteen minutes.'

`How about with the others?' she whispers back excitedly, and I suddenly realize just how close she is.

I catch her wrist softly, pulling her hand back from where it rests on my breast, `Depends. With someone else, a lot of the fun seems to be making it last, though.'

`Could you,' she tilts her head down, pressing her face to my shoulder, `Show me?'

I blink, shocked by the request.

-

`Well, we could laze about and,' Kodachi blushes, `continue our study of physiology,'

`Or?' Utchan asks, her slow moving hand on Kodachi's belly almost certainly quite distracting.

`Or,' she pauses, catching her breath, `we could go someplace, and see how this'll work in a social setting.'

`This?' Shanpuu's voice is curious.

`Oh, yeah, they wouldn't have told you yet. Ranchan and Akane started this competition to see who could sleep with the most people last Sunday, but it quickly changed, at least according to Ranchan, and now,' Kodachi pauses.

`We've decided we want a harem,' I interrupt, `And you're invited to join in. Currently the only membership requirement is that all the current members must approve any new members.'

`So,' Shanpuu looks at her hands, `You're saying that you want me to marry all four of you?'

`Yep. No subset will do, it must be the whole group,' Utchan tells her.

`Give me a kiss each, and I'll tell you when we get back.'

`Good,' Kodachi breathes softly, prizing herself out of Utchan's arms. With two steps she is standing in front of Shanpuu, and I blink, trying to figure out which of them is taller, then decide that they're close enough to the same size, just a little taller than me, that it doesn't really matter. Both tilt their heads just a little, then kiss each other with a fervent passion that I could only wish my first kiss with Ranma had had. Unfortunately, that was spoiled my my boneheaded desire to dominate her, to make her back off, give me this victory.

They are so pretty like that, Kodachi's normal lipstick long since gone, Shanpuu's hands tracing intricate patterns gainst the other girl's sides, and the thought of just how lucky I am to have them both burns warm in my belly.

After a very long time the kiss breaks, and Kodachi leans her head on Shanpuu's shoulder for a moment.

Shanpuu smiles at Utchan, who gets up, then presses herself to Kodachi's back, sandwiching the girl between them as she tilts her head down for Shanpuu's kiss.

I moan, the flush of possessive desire washing through me as I stare at them, swaying on my feet at the thought of her kissing me again, of her doing more than that to me, of all five of us in Utchan's small futon.

Lost in my own thoughts I start at the touch of soft hands on my shoulders, jerking forward against the taller girl, who tilts her head down towards me. Before I can think, my arms are around her neck, my hips rocking against her thigh as my tongue seeks to invade her mouth.

The soft return caress of her tongue, her hands firm against my behind, pulling me against her, the soft silk of her pants, and the lovely overwhelming scent of her conspire, too much for me to maintain any semblance of control. With a soft shudder and a lost moan, I come against her thigh. Minutes later, supported by her strong arms, I realize what I might have done to the pale fabric, and peel myself loose, glancing surreptitiously down to see if I had actually soaked through my panties. At least I can't see a spot, so.

-

`Let's get the treatment over with first, perhaps?' I manage, after a few minutes stunned silence.

`OK,' she breathes into my ear, then strokes my lobe with her tongue.

-

`We didn't,' I manage after a little while, `decide where to go out too, so,'

`Yeah, we should get out of here, right,' Shanpuu says, in short gasps as her breathing slows.

`We're going skating,' Kodachi says in a brisk tone. I gather myself up, searching for the rest of my clothing, then glance at the other two partly-clad girls before indicating the bath with my chin.

`Yeah, we might want to take a bath first,' Utchan muses, `Would you care to join us, Shanpuu?'

`I don't think this is a good idea,' she says, as she walks down the short hallway with us.

A few moments later she is as bare as the rest of us, moaning softly as Kodachi uses warm water to scrub her back.

-

`Goodness,' Hinako-sensei murmurs into my ear, limp and boneless against me after the pressure point treatment.

`Yeah,' I whisper back, trying to ignore the annoyingly erotic feel of her in my arms. She is not only small, but very like the young girl who Happosai met all those years ago. I look into her hopeful lust-filled eyes and force down my loud fears of pedophilia with a firm reminder to myself that she's, barely, old enough to be my mother. It doesn't make me feel much better.

`Shh, if you don't want to we don't have to,' she pulls back a little, her hands soft as she strokes my face in her hands.

Her concern lets me fight off my own, `It's OK, you just surprised me.'

`Thank you,' and she kisses me with more skill than anyone has ever shown me before, not even my mother.

I shake my head to get that out of there, `When do you get off work?'

`Just another half-hour, but if I ask nice I can probably skip out now,' she pulls herself out of my lap, and I take a deep breath to fight off the disappointed feeling of cold air replacing warm skin against my own.

-

`This is nice,' Kodachi murmurs, her head lolled over onto my shoulder, `I hadn't expected that just spending time like this would be such a,' she pauses for a long moment, shifting her shoulders a little bit, `fulfilling experience.'

`This is what I've always hoped for, ever since I realized I was lonely,' Utchan's voice is soft, her arm around my back and Shanpuu tucked lightly into her lap.

`Thank you,' I stroke my chin against the dark hair resting on my shoulder, then let my attention return to the perfect foot I've captured, tracing her long, elegant toes.

-

`How are we going to do this?' Hinako-sensei looks at me with a hopeless expression on her face.

Concern flares instantly, and I drop to one knee in front of her, giving her an even greater height advantage than her being up in the house proper already provides, `What do you mean?' I ask, cupping her hand between my own.

`I've never had the courage to even let someone know I find them attractive before, let alone even kiss them.'

`Shh, it's OK, I had never been kissed by a girl before this last Saturday, so it isn't that hard,' I let her draw me up into a kiss, `Where did you learn to kiss like that, then?' I ask, breathless, when she lets me go again.

`I read a lot, and watch too many sappy movies,' she pulls me to my feet, then shed my slippers as she pulls me further into the small apartment.

`You're really good for that being it.'

She stops, a furious blush racing up her neck to decorate her face. After a few moments it pales, `Thank you.'

\- I lean back against the wall, a towel wrapped around my middle, and regret having been so focused earlier, `Maybe we should have been a little less determined to get clean without any playing around,' I mutter, loud enough for the others to hear. `Probably,' Shanpuu agrees, toweling Kodachi's hair, `but too late now.'

-

`Let's get you out of that,' she tells me, opening the top frog on my shirt.

`Fine,' I gasp, for her wrists are so soft against my breasts. I untie the tie about my left ankle with my toes.

Her skin is soft, so pale, her hair strong and coarse, and I don't resist the urge to tangle my hands in it. After a moment's fumbling I catch the other tie's knot in my toes, and untie it, letting the thick cotton drape down over my feet.

`Ahh,' she whimpers, undoing the fourth frog, then presses her face to the curve of my breasts.

I carefully extract my hands from her hair, then reach between us to undo the last few frogs.

She turns her head, sliding her face lightly up and down, her lips soft against my breast, then catches my nipple between them.

I twist, pressing it against her face, and she moans, deep in her throat, letting go of my shirt to wrap her arms around me. She makes faint encouraging noises as I pull her closer to me, chafing the soft skin of her bare shoulders. Her head draws back, my nipple slipping from between her lips with a faint popping noise. She shifts against me, leaning over to trail tiny nibbles up my other breast, then chewing ever so lightly on my other nipple.

Overcome, I let out another little moan, and I can feel her lips curve into a smile against my breast. I slip my hand down the back of her dress, rubbing small circles against her skin as the thick band of elastic that keeps it on catches and slides against my sleeve.

Her hands unwrap from around my waist, trailing lovely chills across my ribs as she slips them around. I gasp when they leave my skin, then moan an instant later when they return, shoving both my pants and boxers down in a single quick motion.

She releases my nipple, then tiny nibbles trail down my breast and belly. Her tongue slips into my belly-button, and I shudder, my hips rocking towards her in a sudden, impatient gesture.

`Wow,' she breathes softly, her voice cool against my damp skin, `I never thought just kissing a girl would be this intense,' her face is soft as she rubs it against my belly, then proceeds lower, pulling lightly at my pubic hair with her teeth.

I cup the back of her head in my hands again, stabilizing myself as my hips rock impatiently towards her. Another shudder flows through me as she laughs, warm breath cooling on sensitive tissues. I moan when her tongue finally dips between my labia, warm and slightly rough against my clitoris.

-

`Why are we doing this?' Shanpuu asks, tying her skate's laces.

`Because, I think, Kodachi wants to see us in short skirts,' Utchan grouses. Unlike the rest of us, however, she's in a, for her, normal set of boy's clothes, a very attractive black shirt and dark pants. Her tied-back hair makes her almost look like the boy she is registered as.

I glance down at my hands, then move, shifting on the bench, and wrap my fingers about her face. With a soft moan she leans forward, and I meet her in an open mouthed kiss.

A disappointed moan reaches my ears as we break apart, then a familiar black-clad form slips into my lap, and kisses me before I have a chance to protest. Not, I think, that it would have done much good anyway. When she lets me go I moan, this time.

`Let's go,' a cheerful voice tells me, pulling me to my feet before giving Kodachi a quick peck on the cheek. All of us, I note, have our skates on, so we clump over to the edge of the rink, and three of us slip onto the ice with a fair bit of grace. The fourth falls on her ass the moment she touches it.

`Embarrassing,' she says, then staggers to her feet again, the short skirt of her soft lavender outfit falling back down over her black boxer shorts. I blink, then shake my head, *probably helps keep the perverts off*

She wobbles over to us, her sliding steps shaky, but steadily improving. The moment she reaches us she tries to stop, and falls again. Kodachi and I both reach for her at the same time, manage to get in each other's way, and all three of us crash to the ice.

Utchan drops into a crouch next to us, `That was impressive,' she smirks, so I grab one of her skates and pull her off her feet.

-

An incoherent moan escapes as her tongue swirls quickly around my clitoris, her face rocking back and forth with the motion of my hips, her teeth catching it for a brief moment each time my hips strain towards her. The heavy sound of someone's breathing startles me for a moment, until I realize it is my own. An instant later her teeth clamp lightly onto my clitoris once more, and the time she doesn't let it go as my hips rock convulsively back. Orgasm sweeps through me in its familiar chemical rush, and I almost fall, locking my knees at the last instant. She stays with me, the touch of her against me prolonging the aftershocks, and slowly I return, my fingers still in her hair.

-

I skate quickly away from the playfully irate form of my, friend? lover? iinazuke? slowing as I contemplate the question, but the sound of her skates approaching shakes me from my reverie, and I smile at her as I flee her ire.

Kodachi has stuck by Shanpuu, showing her slowly around the rink, her attention totally focused on the girl as the two of us play.

I duck back towards my pursuer, dropping to the ice before she has fully registered my presence, let alone my intent, and almost managing to catch her off guard as I grab her feet and she passes over me.

She manages to tuck into a roll, attempting to throw me as she clamps my hand between her feet, but I manage to shift my center of gravity enough that I only fall on top of her, pinning her inelegantly to the ice. With a quick twist I manage to straddle her hips before she can get back up, then lay myself against her back, whispering in her ear, `So, what do I win?'

A warm laugh tickles my belly, `What do you think? You caught me, so I think you have to keep me.'

`Aww,' I whine softly into her ear, then continue in a happier tone, `does that mean I get another kiss?'

`I think it does,' she tells me, rolling over and pulling me firmly against the chilled front of her clothing.

I stifle a shriek and let her up, getting to my skates before offering her a hand.

-

`Oh,' I manage after a little while, `that was nice,' I draw her up into my arms, the stretchy yellow fabric of her dress cool against my skin. I pull back a little to look into her eyes, `Thank you.'

`You're welcome,' she blushes so prettily.

Her lips are soft, and taste of lubricant. Her tongue tangles around my own, her hands firm against me, one stroking my breast and the other my side. Her dress slides down easily, her skin warm, almost feverish, under it. I moan softly between kisses to the pale skin exposed as I pull her dress down, the faint luscious taste of her overlaid by the salt of sweat.

`Oh,' she gasps, her fingers tightly wound in my hair, pulling me against the straining tendons of her neck. I lick my way along one slowly, her breath amplified both by her excitement and her nearness. Her sleeves bind, refusing to go any further, halfway to her elbows.

`You need,' I pause, catch my breath, `to let go for a moment,'

`Why?' her voice is as ragged as my own.

`Dress,' I manage, tugging at it again. Her hands drop out of my hair hastily.

`Hurry,' she says, as I pull the dress down over her small breasts. The sleeves are a pain, but we manage to wiggle her arms free without too much trouble, and I moan softly when her fingers knot into my hair, pulling it firmly.

She presses my face to her chest, but I have to fight a little in order to catch the faint curve of her breast, then the small hardness of her nipple. Her moan is soft, but her hands are strong, pressing me firmly against her chest, her back arching under my hands.

I pull us both over onto the floor, rolling her on top of me without breaking contact with her nipple. I smile slightly, slipping one hand down her back, up under her dress where it is bunched about her waist, the other shifting to cup her other breast. She twists on top of me, pulling slightly at the nipple in my mouth, pressing the other more firmly against my hand, her knees holding firmly to my hips.

Her nipple flattens slightly as I shove it against my teeth with my tongue, and she lets go with her legs, her hips rocking forward against my belly. With several gentle movements I slowly press her dress down with my less occupied hand, stroking the soft flesh of her hips as I go. I switch hands, then take her other nipple between my lips, pressing it against her chest with my tongue, then nipping at it lightly.

`So nice,' she hisses, her hands sliding down to cup my shoulders.

I give her nipple a final nibble, then begin to kiss my way down her belly, her slight weight pleasant against my face, her dress now down about her knees. I slip my tongue into the slight dip of her navel, and get her dress down far enough that she could kick it the rest of the way off.

Her mons is coved with a faint dust of hair, only slightly thinner than my own, and I stroke my face softly against it, enjoying the sudden catch of her breath. Her hands slip into my hair again, pushing herself up, then pulling against me, pressing her vulva to my face.

I support her hips with my hands, nibble lightly at her labia for a moment, incoherent impatient noises accompanying the frantic tugging of her hands in my hair, and at last I accede to her demands, stroking her clitoris softly with my tongue, then catch it between my teeth and giving it a tiny tug. She groans, orgasming, her whole body shaking in sympathy as I slowly bring her down.

A few moments later she slithers down my body, laying herself flat on top of me. I wrap my arms around her, comforted by her slight weight.

A moment after that she pushes herself up, looking down into my eyes, `Thank you.' A smile crosses her face, and she leans forward again, kissing me.

`Don't mention it,' I tell her when she draws back again. She smiles, then snuggles her face against the top of my breasts, her hair brushing my chin.

It is quite pleasant for a little while, then the air of her room finally begins to turn from pleasantly cool against overwarm skin to downright cold.

Hinako shivers in my arms, and I unwrap one to shove myself upright, holding her in place against my chest as I stand, then set her on her feet when she wiggles.

`You didn't need to put me down,' she grouses, looking up at me, her arms now wrapped about my neck.

`Oh?'

`However, since you have, we could get the futon out,' she bats her eyelashes at me.

I sway slightly, shocked by the simple gesture, and the sudden warm rush of arousal that it engenders.

She giggles, unwrapping her arms from about my neck, and steps back, smiling.

I only barely fight off the urge to run.

_

`You're doing much better, dear,' Kodachi says, a soft smile in her voice.

I skate up behind her, and Shanpuu's gaze doesn't pause on me, but somehow Kodachi manages to catch me in a brief hug. I contemplate scowling for effect, but decide against it as she tries to back off and I grab her in return.

She suddenly stiffens in my arms, and I begin to let go, then another pair of arms bear us to the ground. Utchan laughs, her weight soft against my back, as the ice melts beneath my knees, Kodachi still in my arms, my fingers feeling bruised.

`That,' a voice says, `is not appropriate,' and Utchan lets out a soft squawk as her weight lifts off of me. I twist, pulling Kodachi up off the ice and getting to my knees, to see Utchan in Shanpuu's hands, held up by smaller woman's hands, which are cupping her ears. It doesn't look comfortable, and the look on Utchan's face agrees, her toes pointed to keep her entire weight from being supported by her neck.

`Put her down, I'm OK,' Kodachi says softly, getting her skates back underneath herself.

`Behave better,' Shanpuu says sternly, then lowers Utchan, letting her get her skates back down flat on the ice before letting her go.

`Yes, Shanpuu-sama,' Utchan says with a smile in her voice, her face turned towards her, then, `You're the Oni,' and away she goes.

Shanpuu laughs softly, and heads off in pursuit.

-

`I wanna talk to you,' Nabiki greets me at the foot of the stairs.

`Oh, about what?'

`I think you know what, but come upstairs,' she turns away, the scant fringe of frayed cloth at the hem of her shorts shifting softly with each step.

I follow, wondering if it is about our conversation earlier in the week. She opens her door, then gestures me into the room in front of her.

She locks the door behind us, and I glance around. The only thing out of place is the greyish roll of duct tape on the dresser.

`So, what did you want to talk to me about?'

`Turn around to face the bed,' she tells me, walking over to the dresser, `and cross your wrists behind you.'

Faint apprehension fills me, bringing with it the familiar flush of arousal, and I do as she says. She walks back to stand behind me, then the faint tearing noise of unrolling tape fills the room. She wraps six layers around my wrists, the tape cool at first, then warming with my body heat.

`Onto the bed, on your knees.'

The bed shifts as she climbs onto it behind me, and I can feel the warmth of her as she reaches around and opens the top frog on my shirt.

`One,' she breathes, her voice soft and husky. `Two,' as she opens the second, reaching in to run gentle fingertips over my skin.

An agonizing wait later she has my shirt open, then, with an impatient tug, pulls my shirt from my pants, and unties those with jerky movements.

She doesn't shove them down, however, instead pulling me back against her with a soft moan and her hands cupping my breasts. A contented noise escapes as I let my head lol back to rest on her shoulder, my eyes closed, her fingers gentle against my nipples.

She leans forward, pressing me over onto the bed, her weight insufficient to keep me there, but still quite nice.

An interminable time later she bites my neck with minuscule force, then kisses the spot before speaking, `Wait just a moment, and don't open your eyes.'

She climbs off, walking to the dresser, and I hear the faint slithers and thunks of discarded clothing. The swish of an opening drawer, then a few more slithers, mixed with metallic clanks, and finally she walks back over to the bed, once more straddling my knees.

She wraps her hands about my hips, pulling them up, my nipples protesting the rough surface of her bed in a not unpleasant way. Her fingers shake slightly as she pulls first my pants, then my boxers down to puddle around my knees. A faint gasp, then the press of soft skin against my back, a slight wetness slipping up my spine.

`You OK?'

`Yeah,' a slippery feeling, which I guess is Nabiki shaking her head, her nose sliding across my back, `Thinking of might-have-beens, nothing important.'

`If you,' I pause, chase the words around, `need to talk about it, sometime, I'll listen, and won't make fun, or nothin'.'

`Thanks,' and she pulls back a little, her hands firm against my buttocks, soft as they brush over my labia, then softer still as they slip between my outer labia to stroke the softer inner ones. In moments her fingers are slick with my lubricant, and slowly caressing my clitoris.

I moan, softly, my whole body shaking, my cheek sliding on the rough bedcover in sympathetic motion to her fingers. She shifts behind me, reaching to slip one hand between my protesting nipple and the blanket, the soft, comforting warmth of her palm a wonderful distraction for a moment, and I shift suddenly, pressing that breast into her hand, and my hips back against her other one, my back arching harder for a moment.

A finger, her thumb, I think, slips back to press against my vagina, `Go ahead,' I tell her, forcing the words out. She obliges, sliding the short digit into me, then out again.

I moan a soft protest, then again when she pulls her hand from beneath my breast, `Don't open your eyes,' she tells me, shifting position, then something broad and neutral-temperature brushes against my vulva.

I gasp, barely remembering her instructions not to open my eyes, `Go ahead,' I tell her again, `please.'

`OK,' The broad thing slides softly along the length of my vulva, her fingers still softly stroking my clitoris, then it dips slightly into my vagina, just a little bit. She pulls it back, then slips it forward again, and this time my hips shove back to meet it, and she gasps, high and sharp.

I keep my eyes closed by force of will as we continue, three more strokes bringing her hips to rest against my buttocks at the end of her thrust. She flops over onto my back, the warmth of her belly against my still-bound hands, wiggling and snuggling against me for a moment before reaching underneath to once more cup my breasts in her hands. She pinches my nipples between her fingers, the sharp sensation overcoming the unpleasant blanket-burn for just a moment.

She shifts, rocking her hips against mine, and slowly an even rythym forms, her soft moans pressing me against her hands almost as much as her weight.

-

`Like this?' Utchan asks, her fingers interlinked with Shanpuu's as she holds the smaller girl over her head.

`Yep,' I laugh, and Shanpuu relaxes, her legs dropping back down from parallel the ground, then unlocks her elbows and wiggles her fingers loose, dropping softly to the ground behind the taller girl.

`I suppose it looks nice, but what good is it?' Kodachi asks, fatigue in her voice and heavy steps.

`I don't know, but it's on the required program for the next Martial Arts Pair Skate competition.'

`Mmm, so we're participating?'

`Sounds fun,' Shanpuu says, brushing one hand lightly over Kodachi's shoulder.

-

`OK,' Nabiki says, after the soft whish-thunk of a drawer closing, and I open my eyes, blinking up at the still soft-faced young woman as she walks back over. She slips into the bed, pulling me into her arms, then reaching around behind to start unwrapping the tape.

`Don't bother,' I tell her, then twist my wrists a little and pull once she's moved her hands back. I bring my hands around in front of me and unwrap the shreds of tape, dropping them out of the bed onto the floor.

`I hadn't realized it would do that,' she tells me, her hands sticking to my wrists as she cradles them softly. I look, noticing the white gum and red skin.

`It's OK,' I tell her.

Her face suddenly looks like it's turned to melted cheese, and she presses it to my chest, sobbing.

-

I look at the small portion of food, and the three exhausted young women surrounding me, `I don't think it was worth it,' I tell them, a bit of my dismay seeping into my voice.

`Taste, find out,' Shanpuu tells me, draped like a dead weight over my shoulder, her left arm wrapped around my belly.

`OK,' and I scoop up a small pinch of the rice in my chopsticks, take a deep breath to calm myself, then eat it.

It's actually good. `Wow.'

-

`Shh, it'll be OK, shhh,'

`No, I'm a, a, a, a lesbian, and it won't!' Nabiki wails softly.

`Being a lesbian is a bad thing?'

`Being a real bitch of a lesbian is a bad thing!'

`You are not!' I tell her firmly, cupping her head in my hands, wondering what to do.

-

`I wonder where Ranma is?' Kodachi says softly, her face tucked to Shanpuu's belly, the pale-haired girl shivering slightly with the words.

`I don't know,' I shift in Ukyou's arms, glancing at the window where the moon is just peeking over the sill, hoping for an illicit glance.

-

My belly growls as I slip into Utchan's, and I spare a moment's annoyance for Nabiki, then press the thought aside.

It is, I must admit, quite interesting that all of the women I spend the most time with are like this, but completely against normal expectations. I think about that a little more as I dig through Utchan's kitchen, finally pulling an apple and a pair of cold okonmiyaki out of the refrigerator. I pull the stem off the apple, then eat the rest of it, core and all, leaving only the hairy part which was the flower. The okonomiyaki take less time, and I pause, again, to contemplate that. If ten percent of the population are like this, and those numbers are based off American men in the '50s, I think, and five, plus those two, plus possibly Obaba, plus those two, and Nabiki. Of course, there is also the fact that we are hardly a representative sample of Japanese people. I shake my head, wipe the crumbs off the counter with a rag, then flop the rag to dry again before heading up stairs.

-

`Ranma,' Shanpuu says, her eyes positively lighting up. Kodachi is picked up, kissed on the chin, then set to one side before she has much chance to move, and Shanpuu bounds over to wrap the small girl in a tight embrace.

`Hey,' she replies, giving the taller girl a kiss, and, I note, a tight hug with a bit of a grope.

`Ukyou-kun,' Kodachi says, her voice hesitant, `may I?' as her hand slips along the tall girl's side.

`Probably,' Utchan says, drawing us both into a quick hug before concentrating her attention on Kodachi.

-

`Mmmn,' she murmurs, holding me tightly, ruffling my hair with her face. It is remarkably pleasant.

Within moments she has me, unprotesting, pressed to the wall by the door, my weight supported by my arms about her neck, her leg pressing between my own.

`Isn't this a little rough,' I ask her, pulling one foot up and pressing it to the wall, then adjusting it with soft little wiggles until my own thigh pressed just so against her vulva.

`Do you want to,' she gasps, `do something about it?'

`No, I was just,' I pause, gasping harshly against her, `wondering.'

Shanpuu suddenly goes tense against me, then soft, her breath hissing softly through my hair.

Suddenly it is too much, and I bite my lip to keep from sobbing as tears force their way from under my lids. I press my face against her, both of us supported mainly by the wall, and relax, the slight texture digging into my back.

-

Ranma's quiet tears draw me to them as Shanpuu settles them on their sides, and I press myself against her back, wrapping one arm around them both, pressing the still clothed girl lightly between us. She tenses at the action, but after a while she wiggles, relaxing, her head drooping to rest against Shanpuu's arm.

For a while I wonder if she's asleep, then she speaks, `Sorry 'bout this, didn't mean to fall apart like that.'

`It's OK,' I tell her, pressing my face to her hair, then shivering slightly.

Shanpuu notices, and with a little bit of effort we extract the blanket from underneath us without letting go of each other, and draw it over the three of us.

Ko/Ra/Ak/Uk -poor Ran-chan -_^ Ko/Ra/Ak/Uk/Shan " "

-* --- log: 1999 June middle: re-read Gratuity, started 1999 July 5: added log 1999 July 24-27: wrote about 1600 lines . . . 1999 July 28-Oct 9: wrote about six hundred lines . . . 1999 Oct 10: Finished day three ^^; I don't know if I'll be able to finish this by the middle of next month at this rate. 1999 Oct 10: four hundred lines 1999 Oct 13: Two hundred lines so far; maybe I'll finish day four soon 1999 Nov 5: a few paragraphs of dialog, after not working on it for almost a month. If I really hustle, maybe I can still finish this in six months. 1999 Nov 8: a little more 1999 Nov 13: Finally got the Duo running; and added a good bit. 1999 Nov 16: Worked for an hour, added over a hundred lines, then had the Duo decide that her battery was too flat and crash. great fun. 1999 Nov 17: got some more done. 1999 Nov 18: Yay! nother section! 1999 Nov 27: Actually got a decent bit done. Yay! 1999 Dec 1: got most of day five done. 1999 Dec 2: updated log for Dec 1, added a tiny bit of day six 1999 Dec 3: Finished day five, tiny bit more of day six 2000 Feb 12: worked on it off and on over the last few couple months. The Duo got to be too obnoxious, both because she's a bit slow, but mainly because I don't have a power-adapter for her. Got the 520 back, because she didn't sell for a price I'd like, and so I'm back to work again. 2000 March 9: more playing with boxen. Got a Compaq Contura Aero 4/25 in trade, got linux up and running on it, got back to work, maybe. Did a little bit of work on the 520, but not much. 2000 March 19: Got some more done, finally. I hope to finish day six soon. 2000 March 25: Finished the first draft! Finally! YAY! 2000 March 28: First full edit. 2000 December 3: reread and edited. 2001 May 20: re-wrapped at 78 columns 2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.


	9. Day 7:

Genom Research Presents   
A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day Seven:

I wake, my arm still wrapped around both Ranma and Shanpuu, Utchan and Kodachi brushing lightly against my back as I breathe. An insistent pressure in my bladder forces me from the bed, and the arm I'd slept on is little help. From the elbow down I can't tell where it actually is, except by sight, nor, other than a remarkably annoying prickling, feel anything with it. After I've managed to force myself upright I hold that wrist in my other hand, flopping it hand back and forth, vaguely amused by how uncomfortable it is, and the total lack of control I have over it.

It is mostly back to normal when I return, and the others are vaguely awake.

-

With all four of us to watch and defuse things whenever she seems like she's going to go off the deep end, Akane actually made breakfast.

She, at least, is remarkably happy, while the rest of us, or at least I, want to take a nap.

-

Ranma yawns, trying to hide it, and my happiness at successfully cooking breakfast dims a little.

`Thanks,' she tells me, then leans over to give me a slightly sleepy kiss.

-

`So, this is over?'

`Yep. Who won?'

`I'm tempted to say something horribly sappy like we both did, but I won't.'

`So, then, we need to count, right?' Akane asks.

`Unless you would rather just admit that I'm more feminine than you are, I'd guess so.'

`You!' she jumps at me, grabbing me quickly about the shoulders, and kissing me soundly.

I wisely don't protest.

-

`Let's see, I had you, Kasumi, Utchan, your mom, Yuka, Kodachi, and Shanpuu.'

`OK, you, Kasumi, my mom, Sayuri and Yuka, Utchan, Kodachi, Hinako-sensei, Shanpuu and Nabiki.'

`Hinako-sensei?' I ask, forcing myself not to pull away.

`She asked nicely.'

I consider making a stink, and having us do the full accounting, then realize it would not do any good. `Then you are the more feminine of us.'

`What a prize,' she shakes her head, then kisses me, soft lingering kisses that trail along the line of my jaw.

\---  
log:   
1999 June middle: re-read Gratuity, started   
. . .   
2000 March 25: Finished the first draft! Finally! YAY!   
2000 March 28: First full edit.   
2000 December 3: reread and editted.   
2001 May 20: re-wrapped at 78 columns   
2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.   
2017 November 27: edited for posting to AO3


	10. Day 8: Aftermath

Genom Research Presents  
A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day Eight: Aftermath

-

Akane pulls off of me, and my penis slumps down against between my legs, softening in the condom. I pull her back towards me, kiss her cheek, `That was,'

She giggles, `uninspiring?'

`Something like that, yeah,' I stroke a hand slowly across her breast, and she gasps, `I think I like it the other way better.'

`Well, I don't suppose I can complain,' she kisses me again, then helps me up, and I'm suddenly glad we decided to try this in the bathroom, `since I feel the same way right now.'

I catch the little rubber sack as it tries to escape, and drop it into the laundry-room trash, cover it with a convienient box, then quickly ducking back and closing the door. Warm soapy water takes care of the rest, and a cold rinse returns me to my other form, `Would you like me to make this last time up to you?'

`That might be nice,' she murmurs, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.

[^_^ --S]

\---  
log:  
1999 June middle: re-read Gratuity, started  
2000 March 25: Finished the first draft! Finally! YAY!  
2000 March 28: First full edit.  
2000 December 3: reread and editted.  
2001 May 20: re-wrapped at 78 columns  
2005 March 16: cut up into bit-size chunks.


	11. Epilog

Genom Research Presents  
A Suika Roberts Fanfic

Tip

Warnings and Disclaimers in Part 0.

Day 9 -*

`Tatewaki-niichan! Ohaiyo!' I greet the obnoxious person in kendo garb, and give him a big hug.

Then I introduce his testicles to my knee, after he tries to grope me, `Really, is that any way to greet your sister's beloved?'

`Beloved?' he manages, then passes out.

-*

Day 10

-*

`I just don't like it. It's over too fast, and it doesn't feel all that good, either. Wham, Bam, That's all, ma'am. I don't,' I tell her, pleased with the speed that my Cantonese has returned.

`How many times did you try? With who?' she asks me, cuddling my smaller body against her own. Her Cantonese is much better than her Japanese, I note, again.

`Once, with Akane,' I shift, looking up at her face.

`That is part of the problem,' she tells me, stroking along the line of my jaw. I gasp, softly.

When I have my breath again, `How is that?'

`Practice will provide control, if one works at it, and there's the fact that you and Akane understand each other so well that any disappointment is magnified.'

`So, what do you propose?'

`Well, I didn't pay much attention, but the ways to please a girl if one isn't were covered fairly well to all the boys, since that is one of the things they're good for, supposedly. There are also some things that are supposed to aid in that control.'

`Things?'

She pulls out, after a moment's fishing, a plain steel ring, about large enough for me to get both my index fingers and both my middle fingers through it at once, or at least to the second knuckle when I'm a guy.

I look at it, `What is it, and where does it go?'

`You place it around the base of your,' a word I don't know, `then when your,' same word, `gets hard,' ah, must have been penis, `it helps to keep it that way.'

I ponder that for a moment, then glance around the empty room, the faint glow of the streetlight on the floor, the others over at Utchan's.

`If you want to, I'm always up for training.' she giggles, and I recognize the pun.

-

`How do we get this on? It's already hard,' I grumble, trying to work the blood-warm steel the rest of the way down from where it got stuck as a certain part inflated.

She giggles, a delightful noise, that should have me lubricating heavily, but instead just causes the ring to press tighter into that part.

`You will have to wait, I guess, and slide it down as it softens.'

`How? I can't think of anything other than the fact that you are right here, willing, cute, lovely, loving,' I groan, leaning forward to kiss her. It feels so strange for her to be smaller than I am.

I put the matter of the ring from my mind, and concentrate on slowly working her out of her dress, kissing each inch of flesh as it appears. As I nibble my way along her collarbone, her fingers are suddenly on that part, and the ring slips down to the base before it hardens, and I gasp against her skin.

Her fingers are so gentle, moving slowly along my penis, stroking it slowly from the base all the way up to the top of the glans, then swirling slowly around it. I moan, softly, trying to be quiet, and kiss her shoulder, sucking lightly at the delicious flesh.

She responds by lightly squeezing the glans, her fingernails biting ever so lightly into it, and I press my face to her shoulder, breathing hard, `So nice,' I murmur, surprised.

I let her continue to stroke it, as I shift my attention back to her. She gasps, softly, as I begin to trace slow trails along her luscious flesh with my fingernails. I set myself to trying something only Akane has managed with me, to try and bring her to orgasm without touching her vulva, without any stimulation to it. [grr, is vulva singular or plural? --S]

Her fingers clench hard around my penis when I slowly begin to lick and suckle at her nipple, and the soft gasp indicates she doesn't mind the attention.

Control becomes increasingly difficult

-*

Day 20

-*

`Stop that!' giggles Ranma, her face red, her hands batting ineffectively at mine.

`No!' I tell her, continuing to try and tickle her.

`Don't, please!' she shrieks, yet doesn't really try to get away.

I force myself to ignore the disapproving looks from the few others we pass as we continue up the path towards the temple gate. Kodachi's giving me this look of mild concern, Utchan's got a faint smile, Shanpuu looks like she'd like to participate, and Hinako is just looking down on us with this very odd expression from her perch on Shanpuu's shoulders.

Ranma shrieks again as I catch her, my fingers wiggling against her belly.

Suddenly she stops, wiggles out of my grasp, and jogs up the trail.

-*

The game is a lot of fun, Akane being the big bully tickling the poor innocent little girl, but the faint words from up the trail, and the even fainter scent of amnionic fluid stir ingrained responses, even after over two years.

I slip free, and head up the trail towards the temple.

-*

Ranma has stopped, standing next to a woman in damp clothing, an odd smell in the air, and seems to be calming the man with her, probably the husband.

`Look, panicking won't help any. We're an hour up the trail from the parking lot, three hours by road from the nearest clinic, and twelve miles straight line,' she turns to the woman, `I'm a trained midwife, I've helped with the birth of many babies,'

`What am I going to do!' the woman screeches.

`First, you are going to calm down,' and Ranma hits what I've come to recognize as the shiatsu satiation point.

The woman obligingly calms down.

`OK, what's your name?'

`Kimiko,' the woman stammers, then grimaces as a ripple seems to flow down her body.

`OK, eight minutes between the contractions,' and the husband calms suddenly, the woman, Kimiko, calming a little as well, `This is your first, right?' Kimiko nods, `Any medical conditions that could complicate things?'

`I'm allergic to penicillin.'

`OK,' Ranma looks her in the eyes, `I'm going to feel your belly to check how the child is situated, understand?'

`Yes,' Kimiko replies, still seeming scared. I glance around at our little party. Hinako is wide eyed, Shanpuu has a happy look on her face, and both Utchan and Kodachi look scared.

I look back, the husband is hovering, looking worried, and Ranma's feeling Kimiko's belly.

`OK, she's head-down, ready to come out, both of you seem to be in fine health, and you've dilated to about five centimeters. Let's walk up the trail a little more, there's another mile until the temple itself.'

`Is it OK?' the husband asks, a tremulous smile on his face for Ranma.

`It should be fine. Saotome Ranma,' and she bows to him.

`Yamamoto Kenji,' and he bows back, `Thank you for doing this for my wife.'

`I can only do what I can do.'

`That is a lot more than I could manage.'

`Ignorance is very frightening,' she tells him, then gently holds Kimiko's waist as another contraction hits.

-*

We walk up the trail, slowly, for about a quarter mile, almost thirty minutes. Kimiko's dilated to eight centimeters, the amnionic fluid almost dry on her clothes.

-*

`Good, you're almost there, lets find someplace a little quieter and a little safer to finish this part, OK?'

`OK,' Kimiko gasps, winded.

Ranma leads the way off the trail, and through some method I have no clue about, chooses to set Kimiko on a broken log, resting against a tree.

`You're fully dilated, and you'll notice the contractions are quite closely spaced,' Kimiko nods, `in a little bit, you'll feel an urge to push, and when you do, tell me, then do so, OK?' Kimiko nods again, `If I ask you not to push, please, try not to, understand?'

`Gotcha,' Kimiko manages, almost gasping the word.

`Everyone around behind, OK?' I walk to stand behind Kimiko, and Kenji hunkers down next to her, one hand on her shoulder, the other softly petting her side.

Ranma feels Kimiko's belly again, then with a single efficient motion strips off the woman's panties and slips them into Kimiko's skirt pocket.

`Pushing,' Kimiko gasps.

`Good, good, she's moving.'

A short pause, then Kimiko gasps again, her knuckles going white.

And again.

`I can see the top of her head.'

Kimiko's knuckles go white again, and she moans.

`Drat,' Ranma looks up, `I need a knife!'

Seven blank stares look back at her, and she gulps and ducks her head. A faint rending noise, almost like tearing meat, and then she's wiping her slightly bloody face on her hand.

Kimiko moans, a faint despairing sound, and her knuckles go white.

`There we go,' Ranma croons softly, and she is holding a tiny baby in her arms. She does something with the babies face, and then runs her fingers over the umbilical cord before tying it in a knot.

`Here you go, a bouncing 4.2 kilo baby girl. The umbilical was wrapped around her neck,' Ranma says, handing the tiny burden into her mother's waiting arms.

The baby turns her head back and forth, making faint protesting noises.

`She's hungry, you might want to feed her,' Ranma says, feeling Kimiko's belly again.

`Here, in public?'

`Ain't anything I haven't seen before,' Ranma tells her, a slight frown on her face.

A smaller contraction ripples down Kimiko's form, and she opens her shirt, settling the baby against it. I finally take a look at her, intrigued by the look of wonder on her face.

Another contraction, and something bloody and shapeless is in Ranma's hands, and she sets it aside, suddenly cussing out loud, `Hemorrhaging,' is the only coherent word I hear.

Ranma's face is pressed to Kimiko's belly, and I can feel her will warping reality, can see a faint red glow, that could be dismissed as a trick of the setting sun, except that it is noon.

`Good,' Ranma mutters, slipping back to sit on her heels a moment, before falling over on her side.

`Don't wash the baby until she gets dirty, try to keep the doctors from prodding her too much, and breastfeeding is best for them,' Ranma's eyes close a moment, `Should get her registered fairly quickly, and someone'll have to bury the placenta,' and she falls fully asleep.

-*

`No, I'm not licensed, I won't take your money. Support alternatives to hospital births, and I'll consider myself well compensated.'

`There was so much blood,' Kenji looks green.

`She was hemorrhaging. In a hospital she would have had a good chance of dying. In the hands of a less competent midwife, she could well have died, too. I'm just glad I was here.'

`What do you mean, alternatives?'

`Have you been present for a hospital birth?' I notice five sets of eyes on me when I ask that question.

`No.'

`Attend one, and you shall understand.'

-*

`How did you learn all that?' I ask her.

`On our first trip to China we ran into old woman Li, and she convinced Oyaji to let her train me, I don't know how.

`I spent the next nine months as an apprentice Chinese Wisewoman and midwife. I was young and cute, so she dressed me in girl's clothing, called me Sai Fong, and told people that I'd been sent to learn with her.

`Since going to the hospital had even chances of coming out dead, most people in the area kept an eye on old woman Li, and watched out for her, kept her fed and stuff. She taught me a lot, said I was the quickest student she'd ever had.'

`Wondered if you were taught in China. Even warriors are taught the basics of healing, but I slacked off after that,' Shanpuu kisses Ranma firmly, a deep, passionate, face-sucking kiss, `It is nice to know that our family has a skilled midwife.'

-*

`Che,' I mutter, staring at the train station wall.

`What is it, Ranma-chan?' Kodachi asks, touching my shoulder lightly.

`Oh, just this,' I fish out my cute little knife, `I'd forgotten I had it,' I flip the blade open one-handed, `I snagged it from this cute EMT when I was younger, left her a gold pendant I'd found in it's place,' I smile at the look she gives the serrated edge. `What is it made for?'

`EMTs use them for cutting seatbelts and stuff,' I fold the knife and slip it away again.

-*

Day 25

-*

`Shh,' she tries to soothe me, her hands gentle on my shoulders as she softly nibbles at my neck.

I'm not sure what has me so agitated about this, I've had, relations, with both of them, albeit not together. This isn't even about the strap-ons, I don't think, but the whole situation is scaring me, at least a little bit.

It isn't like the idea of both Kasumi and my mo -- Nodoka going down on me doesn't appeal, but the way they want to . . .

I lean back against Kasumi, stroke my cheek against the softness of her breast, closing my eyes, `Please,' I murmur, keeping my fears out of my voice, if not the tenseness of my body.

Even together both of them are smaller than Utchan's hand, which can feel really nice. I slowly relax as Nodoka suckles gently at my breasts, Kasumi's fingers tugging lightly on my clitoris in a maddening rhythm, and I draw my knee up, Nodoka's leg soft under my foot.

Kasumi's nails drag lightly against my skin as she slips her free hand out from under my side, and a faint noise of protest escapes as she pulls back from me, cool air slipping up my back. Firm rubber pressing against my vulva helps me realize why she moved, then the length of it slides lightly over my clitoris, her fingers guiding it.

I moan, and Nodoka shifts, sliding herself up my body, her breasts soft and heavy against my face as her hands slip down my length, lubricated with my sweat. Her fingers slip into my vagina with ease, and I shift slightly to allow her easier access. After a moment I feel the rounded end of her own attachment sliding against Kasumi's fingers, then pressing against my vulva for a moment.

`More lube,' she gasps, urgently, startling me with the sheer, the sheer, the sheer, the sheer something of her words.

Kasumi strokes my clitoris one more time, then reaches behind her and back, a cool substance on her fingers with which she coats both strap-ons. Her hips rock back, and she guides the strap-on into me with fingers that tremble ever so slightly.

Without a word she slowly presses the dildo into me, and I press my face, eyes still closed, against Nodoka's breasts, involuntarily moaning as she pulls back a little, her fingers once more firmly caressing my clitoris. A few moments pass as I wiggle my face against Nodoka, and Kasumi begins a steady rhythm that my hips follow almost of their own accord.

`Good,' Nodoka murmurs, her hand leaving my hip, and Kasumi's hips slow, almost stop, as Nodoka gently presses the strap-on against my vulva, her fingers firm against me, keeping it from slipping, and then suddenly it is in, and we both moan

`Ranma,' Kasumi gasps, her ragged breath hot against my hair.

Both of them continue cautiously, the two dildos creating an interesting feeling, the gentle rocking of their bodies against me, the firm way their arms are wrapped around each other and me, the warm, sweaty scent of them, the fainter scent of the artificial lube, and the sharp feeling of Kasumi's nails against my hip work together, bringing me easily to orgasm.

I open my eyes, shifting my head to look at the fierce expression on Nodoka's face as she slowly strokes the strap-on into me, pausing for a moment at the end of the stroke to grind her hips against my clitoris, then as slowly drawing it out again.

Kasumi's rhythm is faster, and I let my eyes drop closed again, my hand on Nodoka's hip, trying to urge her faster. At last I can take it no longer, the slow build up getting to be too much, `Faster, please,' I manage, gasping.

Nodoka's breath is as uneven, but she increases the pace of her thrusting, as does Kasumi, maintaining the strange feeling of the two of them stroking just out of sync, driving me once more towards the brink of orgasm. With a faint gasp behind me Kasumi orgasms, then, with a full-body shudder, Nodoka. They slowly settle, then pull out, soft, spent expressions on their faces as I sit back a little.

Kasumi's face turns concerned, `Didn't get you off, did we?' she asks softly.

I almost deny it, but the look on her face stops me, `Nope,' I tell her, cuddling up against her, rubbing my face on her breast.

`That isn't good,' I can almost see the smile in her voice as her gifted fingers draw me forward, then I gasp as she rubs her cheek against my breast, catching the other nipple between her teeth and gnawing on it with a delightful firmness, the nails of one hand digging into my buttocks, the others scraping over my clitoris in a manner that is most distressingly wonderful.

She releases my nipple, then strokes it with her rough tongue, and orgasm hits me like a small truck, drawing the strength from my bones. I virtually melt against Kasumi, and Nodoka, the strap-on removed, cuddles against my side.

-*

Day 27

-*

`Are you both sure?' I ask them, worried about what could happen.

`Yes,' Kasumi answers, `I am willing to risk it.'

I look at Nodoka, `Genma knows, just like I know about him and Soun. It's OK.'

I make a face, `That's a lot more than I ever wanted to know about Oyaji.'

Kasumi laughs, `It is kinda odd.'

I scowl, mostly for effect. The smiles I get back tell me that it didn't work. I contemplate what I'd heard over the last couple hours, the surreality of it all that's keeping me from finding someplace to hide while I figure out what I'm going to do.

First, there was the `Kasumi wants to try what we did night before last.'

Then there was the, `You're kinda small like that, I don't think she'll get the full effect this way.'

Then, `I think it would be better if I was male as well, less risk of, complications, that way. I obtained a packet of instant from your great-grandmother.'

Then, `Nodoka's allergic to latex, so . . . '

And that brings me to the point of sitting across the little table from the two of them, four fingers slipped through the warm steel of my cock-ring, on the verge of panic.

`I'm splitting. Sorry, need to think about this, or not think about this, or somthin'. I'll see you tomorrow, love you, bye!' and I hop out of my chair, slip the cock-ring away, and rush out the door.

-

Ranma slips into the shop, all in a tizzy.

`What's wrong?' I ask her, as she pulls me in and kisses me softly, intensely, a faint hint of desperation leaking through.

`Nodoka, Kasumi, that whole situation,' she kisses me again, `Love you,' she rubs her forehead against my chin, `Promised Nabiki I'd see her sometime this week.'

`Go, have fun,' I tell her, wondering how she can maintain her circle of secondaries, when just our primaries are enough to exhaust me.

`If you insist,' she smiles, I can feel it, even if she doesn't look up at me.

`I insist, come back this evening, though,' I tell her, and she nods.

-

`Two hours?' Nabiki asks, playing with the frogs on my shirt, `Whatever can we do with all that time?'

`I could scrape up a bit more, if you want me to,' I tell her, stroking her fingers, wanting her to want me to.

`Yeah, I do,' she says, smiling, her fingers opening my shirt, moving slowly as I cup her hands in mine.

I nod, silent.

She leans forward, strokes the tip of her nose along my neck, right where it joins my shoulder, then begins to nibble at it, softly at first, then harder, quickly reaching the point where a normal girl's skin would break.

I moan, twisting, lifting up on my toes to press against her teeth.

She shoves my shirt off my shoulders, her hands wrapping up and around my shoulder blades, and I shift my hands to her hips, soft moans escaping my lips as she continues to nibble at my neck, although biting furiously might be a better description. I sag, remembering the lovely look on her face, the day after she first tried this, as I convinced her jaw muscles to stop hurting. The way she quietly accepted my fussing over her in school, in public.

She gives me one last tugging bite, then lets go, a soft smile on her face as she shoves me backwards onto her bed.

Within moments she has me gasping, naked, and wet on her bed, shivering with the chill air on sweaty skin, `Close your eyes,' she tells me.

`I know what it looks like,' I tell her.

She blinks, surprised, `And you're OK with it?'

`Yeah, it's just rubber, it's not a real,' pause, `Cat.'

`If I'd known I'd be--'

`Using it on an ailurophobe?' I ask, smiling.

`Something like that,' she says, fishing the item in question out of her drawer. The black straps contrast to the powder-blue silicone, cast in the shape of a cat, stretching against a tree.

Within moments she is back, the strap-on bobbing slightly with her steps.

I sit up on her bed, then drop to the floor on my knees, grabbing her hips in my hands. I look up at her, and smile softly at the confused expression on her face, then lean forward, and take the tip of her strap-on between my lips.

`Oh,' she gasps, her fingers tangling in my hair, and sways.

The silicone is tasteless, well, almost. I lick around the tip of it, then suck it partly into my mouth, just the first few centimeters. Her hands pull lightly at my hair, and I glance up, and there is a wonderfully open expression on her face, her pupils dilated.

I draw back a little, still watching her watch me, then slip forward again, suppressing my gag reflex with newly-learned skill, and watch her eyes widen as I slip most of her attachment into my mouth.

I pull back once more, then slide it down my throat again, all the way until I can feel her belly with my nose, and she comes with a suddenness that surprises me, even as her muscles tense and I'm forced to hold her up so she doesn't fall.

I pull back, letting her strap-on pop out of my mouth, `Wow, I guess I'm better than I thought,' I smile, cuddling her close as I pull both of us into the bed.

`I,' she's crying again.

`Oh no, I didn't want to make you cry,' I blink back tears of my own. Every time I try to do something for her, almost, I make her cry instead.

`No, it's nice, I just never,' she trails off, kissing me firmly, her tongue slipping between my lips, playing with my teeth, and I feel a lot better about everything.

`Never?' I prompt, when she lets me breathe again, her head dropping to rest on my shoulder.

`Never thought I'd have a girl do that, let alone you.' She nuzzles my neck, her strap-on pressing against my thigh as she shifts.

`Wasn't any trouble. I'd worried that I'd die of embarrassment if anyone noticed what I was up to when I was practicing with that banana, but no one did.'

She laughs, a soft chuckle.

`I had an excuse all ready, too. You know, Houdini, the escape artist?'

She nods.

`Well, he practiced with a potato on a string, learning how to keep things in his throat and bring them back up at will. Thought it would be useful, so I learned that, too.'

She pulls back, and I smirk up at her. `You,' she tells me, then her hand slips down to cup my breast, `Are wonderful.'

`Thanks,' I gasp, `Flattery will get you,' deep breath, release, `far.'

`Good,' she says, shifting again, this time pressing herself between my legs. I gasp, the warmth of her delightful against my thighs and vulva, and almost ticklish against my pubic hair.

I moan, rocking my hips against her belly, my legs wrapping around her waist, my hands around her shoulders, as she softly nibbles at my left breast. I clutch her to me, stopping at the slight squeak that reminds me that she isn't a martial artist, not even so far as Hinako.

She slides forward over me a little more, and I reach down to guide the strap-on as it slips into me.

She groans as she presses fully down against me.

-

`Hey,' Kodachi slips her arms around me, wrapping her hands around my belly. I cup her fingers, gently stroking them as she presses to my back.

`Where's Ranma?' she asks, fingers twirling slowly around my belly-button.

`She went over to visit Kasumi and her mom, then came back, and she's off with Nabiki.'

`So, she'll be really tired tonight,' she kisses my neck.

`Maybe not. She was quite squicked by whatever Kasumi and her mom were proposing.'

`Hmm. You actually needed out here, or can I talk you into a little bit of sparring?'

`I suppose,' I let go of her hands, and she pulls them back. `I'm gonna go spar for a little bit, OK?' I tell Obaba.

`Sure, things are quiet, have fun,' she smiles at me, and Shanpuu waves a little bit before turning back to her cooking.

Kodachi laughs, and drags me out the door.

-

`We,' I say softly, then kiss Nabiki on her temple, `really need to find you your own girlfriend.'

`I'm OK with just a little bit of your time,' she says softly, hugging me tightly.

`I'm not, you need someone who'll love you the way I love Akane or Kodachi, or Utchan. Someone who sees you as the most important person in the world.'

`How do you manage that?'

`Any of them are more important to me than anyone else in the world. I love all of them.'

`Equally?'

`Probably not, but I'd die to save any of them.'

`And me?'

`You too, probably,' I laugh, nuzzling her neck, `I think I'm that sort of person. I'm willing to give up time with anyone not part of my circle to be with anyone who is part of my circle, if they ask.'

`And you think we should find me someone who'll drop anything to be with me?'

`Seems a reasonable goal, doesn't it?'

`How do you intend to do that? I've a well-known, and, perhaps, well-deserved, reputation as a bitch.'

`Well, we could let it be known that you were such a bitch because you were trying to hide your orientation towards girls,' I trail off suggestively.

She laughs, `I don't think so,' and a hand traces my waist, `I won't stop being a bitch because I come out, so . . . '

`But you've been such a bitch for so long that you can hardly change overnight.'

`Any other ideas?'

`Catch you someone who either doesn't find your bitchiness off-putting or someone from out of our area.'

`Hmm, or both.'

`Or both,' I pull back a little and smile at her, `What do you like in women?'

`All sorts of things,' she smirks.

`About women,' I growl.

`Oh,' she makes a thinking face, `I like little ones, who are well-padded,' she squeezes my hip, `Strong, brave, cute, skilled,' she frowns, `Just like you.'

`That could be a problem,' I smile up at her, `Since I'm quite taken, five being almost more than I can cope with, and I don't know of anyone as little, cute, and skilled as myself.'

`Oh, how modest of you,' she tickles me a little.

`Quite. If we could drop a couple of those requirements, or flex on them, we may be able to find someone, however.'

`And how would we do that?'

`I'm not sure. We could take you out dancing with us, and introduce you to a couple of the available women we know.'

`Perhaps. And at least I'd get a chance to dance with you, right?'

`Of course,' I shift, kissing her neck, `But that can happen later, right?'

Her hands caress their way up my sides, then one slips down my belly and through my pubic hair, `Right.'

-

Kodachi manages to tag me, her foot brushing my face as I fade with the blow.

My reply is forestalled by a sudden, upset shout, `SAOTOME! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY SHANPUU!!'

Kodachi dodges his blow, with a grace she wouldn't have managed a few weeks earlier. She flips her hair back, out of her face, then yells back, `I AM NOT SAOTOME!' then, in a lower voice, `Not yet, anyway.'

I laugh, `And I got Shanpuu first,' I call, strongly, towards the blind boy.

He screams, `WHAT! PREPARE TO DIE!' and turns towards me, easily tracking me as I dodge noisily.

I freeze, a small spattering of rocks continuing the direction I was going, and he follows. As he passes I kick him in the butt, hard, knocking him off his feet, and Kodachi presses the edge of a katana to his neck.

`Move and die,' she tells him, while I watch the blade, wondering where it came from, where she hid it, and if she really would.

`Nice trick,' I tell her.

`Ranma taught me. It's a variant of hidden weapons, but I think it's a different school than Mousse uses,' she kicks him lightly, `Isn't it.'

`Yes, I can feel it,' he says, squirming just a little bit, a tiny droplet of blood beading from his neck. `Your school is older, simpler to learn, but one cannot carry as much, hidden.'

`I've seen Ranma vanish a small car, with this technique,' she says, putting the sword away in a simple move like she is returning it to a sheath at her belt, wiping the tiny bit of blood off with a clean, black rag, and then it is gone, both sword and rag.

`Then he's refined it,' Mousse rolls over and sits up, his anger momentarily forgotten as Kodachi drags him firmly into a discussion of technique.

-

`So, when are we going dancing,' she asks, playing with my collar.

`Soon, this weekend, perhaps?'

`That would be nice.'

`Then I'll try and make it happen,' I promise, then kiss her gently on the cheek.

;

I walk out past Soun, who looks shell-shocked, still, despite the almost three weeks since he found out about my circle. I smile at him, and wonder about Nodoka's comment on his relationship with kusooyaji, and smile a little broader.

Even if it isn't exactly true, it might explain some things.

-

Shanpuu drops down beside us, startled to see Kodachi and Mousse still deep in conversation about the esoteric details of hidden weapons styles.

`What are they yatting about?'

`Hidden weapons. Apparently Ranma's taught her something about it, and they've been chattering for the last hour, with the occasional demonstration,' I snort, `What's up?'

`Finished my chores, and thought I'd see if we could do a little sparring.'

`Bare handed?'

`OK,' she steps back, and doesn't visibly tense.

I don't visibly telegraph an attack.

She doesn't visibly telegraph a block.

-

I settle quietly to a roof, watching them practice. Mousse and Kodachi seem to be getting along remarkably well, a slight clatter of weapons drifting up. Shanpuu, Akane, and Ukyou stand, facing each other, almost unmoving for minutes at a time, then flashing into furious motion.

`What's up?' a soft voice asks from near the ground.

`They're practicing,' I tell Hinako, then drop to the ground next to her.

-*

Day 29

-*

`So,' I tell her, fighting back, once more, the urge to run.

`So,' Kasumi says, then leans forward and kisses me.

I enjoy the kiss for a moment, then break it, stepping back, `I,' I can say it, really, `am not going to participate.'

`Too squicky?' Kasumi asks gently.

`Much,' I look down.

Kasumi pulls my chin up, and smiles at me, `That's OK, I was a little nervous about this also,' she leans back down and kisses me again.

`Thank you,' I smile at her, `Tell Nodoka, OK?'

`I will, eep!' she squeaks when I hug her tight, and I relax my grip a bit. 

-

`So,' I ask Hinako, waving the little packet I've pulled from her fingers, `You really want to try it?'

She smiles, a little weakly, `I don't know.'

`Why not?' Ranma asks, her arms, suddenly, about Hinako's shoulders, `I'm willing if you are.'

`Really?' Hinako asks, her eyes widening with shock as she whips her head around to look.

`Yeah, I think so,' Ranma gives her a kiss.

-

`Hinako's not out yet?' Shanpuu asks me, as I kiss my way slowly down her shoulder, unbuttoning her shirt as I go.

`Nope,' I manage, working the buttons on her pants loose.

-

Ranma's totally engrossed with Shanpuu, so I let myself relax into Kodachi's grasp, enjoying the play of her fingers over my skin.

-

`Can I join you?' The voice isn't familiar, but the presence is.

`Sure, Hinako,' I tell her, jolting a little when she touches me, her fingers the wrong size as they curve across my ribs.

`This OK?' the worry in her voice is plain.

`Yes, please,' I let only my love for her into my voice, and none of the slight trepidation I feel about her current form.

Her fingers trace over my back, down my waist, and cup my hips. I let myself press back against her, maintaining my arousal through firm conviction that this is my beloved Hinako, and firm denial about her shape. 

Her touch is a little softer than normal, her fingers longer, able to wrap about my hips and still brush my pubic hair.

Her lips touch the back of my neck, soft, gentle, loving, familiar, and I relax.

-*

Day 30

-*

I waggle my penis a little under the hot water, letting the shower clean under my foreskin, watching idlely.

Shanpuu slips her arms about my waist, nibbling at my neck, `Ohayo, airen,' she murmers, then her hands are touching my penis, much less idlely.

`Do we have,' gasp, `time for this?'

`I checked. We do,' she reaches for my lips with her own.

I twist to meet her, `Good.'

-

I bite my lip, wondering how I feel, how I should feel. Last night Shanpuu and Hinako completely monopolized her, and this morning . . .

I watch for a moment as Ranma gently guides Shanpuu down onto his penis, the firm look of concentration on his face as he makes love to her, delaying his orgasm quite a bit longer than he ever does when he's a girl, the soft ecstatic look on Shanpuu's face. She definately doesn't mind guys.

Ranma I was pretty sure did, but she sure didn't complain last night.

After an interminable time, Ranma comes, his face softening, Shanpuu draping herself across his chest. His arms wrap around her tightly, and I turn away, walking blindly from the room, right into Utchan.

`Hey, you OK?' she asks.

`Fine. Ranma and Shanpuu are probably still a little busy in there.'

`Oh, that's what's got you out of sorts, isn't it?'

`I don't care what they do with each other--'

`You just want them to do some of it with you,' she cuts me off. `Yesterday she told Kasumi no about their little game. I think she's going to be trying to simplify things for the next little while, detaching from some of her secondaries.

`I think she'll be wanting you arround more than normal, so why don't you join them?'

`OK, I guess I will,' I smile at her, `Thanks,' and give her a kiss.

`'Tis my job, as one of your primaries,' she smiles back, oh so cute, and I can't resist pressing myself up against her firmly, enjoying the feel, soft layers of fat over hard muscle.

She hugs me, hard, then turns me and pushes me towards the door, `I'll take a shower later.'

Shanpuu and Ranma are in the furo, having washed off again, I assume. Ranma gets out to wash my back, scrubbing me quickly before kissing her way up my spine.

`You weren't using a condom, earlier,' I gasp, as she cups my breasts in her hands, nibbling at my ear.

`No,' she says, her voice strange, `We weren't, were we?' she looks over at Shanpuu.

`Nope, we didn't.'

`Last night? Did Hinako?'

`No. Why are you . . . ' she pauses, `Oh.'

`Yeah. Oh. We'll know soon enough, I suspect.'

`Know what?' I ask.

Ranma just looks at me like I'm dumber than grass.

I start to get angry, and then it hits me upside the head, `Know if either of you is pregnant.'

`Pin-pon,' Ranma says, sounding remarkably grim. 

`People don't just get pregnant. The timing has to be right,' Ranma raises an eyebrow, `Oh.'

`Yep. Oh.'

`Girl's most likely to forget contraception,' she glances at me to make sure she got the word right, so I nod, `when most needs it. Suck.'

That would really put a strain on things. Money should be fine -- we've got enough incomes, and a couple of those are good, rather than just decent. Emotional strain, social strain, that's likely to really put us in the pinch.

Particularly since it'll hit right as the initial glow wears off. I twist around in Ranma's arms, and hug her tightly, `Get over here,' I say softly.

Shanpuu wraps her arms around us both, and I relax my grip just a little bit.

-*

Day 90

-*

`Well,' I say, looking at the two of them, `What's the verdict?'

`We're both pregnant,' Ranma says bluntly.

`Well,' I say, then just gather them into a hug.

`Thank you,' Ranma says, tears wetting my cheek where hers is pressed to it. Utchan had to work this afternoon, or she'd be here. Kodachi couldn't stay -- she said she had to leave, or she'd freak. She's outside, with Hinako.

-*

`Where are the others?' I ask.

`Outside. Kodachi said something about a panic attack, then fled.'

`Shit,' I say, then wiggle free, speaking over my shoulder, `You do remember that she had been inpatient for a while, when she was younger, right?'

Akane blinks, `What?'

`Her pop put her in the loony bin when she was twelve. They fucked with her pretty good before they realized she'd been sane when they started.'

`Did she tell you this?'

`No, she let me read her medical records.'

`Oh,' She says, an awed look on her face for some reason.

-*

Day 254

-*

`Come here,' Hinako tells me, then closes the door of her office behind us. I'm a little amazed no one has figured out that we're . . . involved, yet.

She sits on her desk, then gathers me into her arms, only a little shorter than I am now, so I don't tower over her so badly when she holds me in her lap. She strokes my hair and murmurs soft, sweet nothings in my ears, my huge belly awkwardly inconvenient.

I let her support me, nuzzle against her neck, and relax for the first time since school began for the day.

-*

Day 316

-*

`Hey, cuteness,' I tell the baby, who's awake in Shanpuu's arms, a content, just-fed smile on her face. Blurry eyes try to focus on me, and undeveloped neck muscles attempt to track my movements.

`Not even a week old, and already trying so hard. Stubborn, just like her mama,' Kodachi says, smiling, then tickles her under her chin.

A delighted giggle escapes the baby, and Kodachi gives her mother a kiss.

-*

`But,' Hinako says, trying to argue.

`We'll worry about that if it happens. There's no indication that your illness was hereditary, so until something actual happens to cause us to worry, I refuse to let you worry about our daughter. You got me?' I tell her firmly, the focus of our argument suckling greedily at my breast.

`Yes, dear,' she says, still looking like she wants to argue.

`Is she still worrying about passing some nastiness to our children?' Utchan asks, wrapping her arms around Hinako.

`Yes,' we both say.

`We found your records, remember? It really seems like it was something viral.'

`You think,' Hinako tells her, but relaxes anyway.

-*

Day 320

-*

Akane protests, `But the Doctor said,'

I cut her off, `Who are you going to trust, a male Doctor who's never really treated me, or your midwife?'

`But,'

I kiss her, stroking her sides with my hands, `Who?'

`You,' she says, finally touching me back.

`Good.'

-*

Day 937

-*

I look at the others, `I know we've discussed this before. We're all in college, we're stable, financially, and I want a baby of my own.'

`OK,' Ranma says, Megumi and Rin in her lap, squirming a little with the impatience of being two.

`So,' Hinako says, `Who, and when?'

`That's a little blunt,' Kodachi smiles, reducing the sting of her words.

`I don't really,' I pause, hunting for the words, `I don't want to choose. I love all of you, and . . . '

`Kodachi or Utchan,' Shanpuu says, draping her arms around me with a smile.

`Why?'

`Genetic diversity. For maximum effect that'd take one child by each of the others each, but I don't think we can afford it, or really want it, either, but,' she kisses me on the cheek, `We should try for the broadest possible gene pool in the children. Makes for less chance of,' she pauses,

I cut her off, `OK, I get the picture,' not that I want to, but.

I look at the named two, `How do you feel about it?'

`I'm willing,' Kodachi says.

`I'll do it, if you really want,' Utchan says.

-*

Day 941

-*

I'm not surprised that Akane brought it up right when it is most . . . enticing. Gyeh. We'll know in a while if it worked.

I shake my head, appalled at the mechanical turn of my thoughts.

-*

Day 1000

-*

Akane's pregnant. So's Utchan. Utchan's turned a rather sickly green when she figured that out.

`Who?' Shanpuu asks.

`Me,' Kodachi says, `Most likely. Remember the first night?'

Akane nods, and Utchan recovers her normal color.

`Right,' she says, `I started out as a girl while you were a guy, and we both,'

Akane clamps her hands over Utchan's mouth, `Hey! It's one thing when they were participating, but quite another when they weren't!' she protests, as red as my favorite shirts.

-*

I can't believe she was going to tell them all about it. It's like a porn novel or something. No.

I let her go when she starts licking my fingers.

-*

Day 2500

-*

We're at the pond, feeding the fish.

`Saotome Ranma?' a suited man asks, holding out a business card.

`That's me,' I take the card, Megumi peering over my shoulder at it, `Matsumoto-san, what can I do for the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs?'

`I'm recruiting for,' he pauses, `Matters of National Security. Could I take you, and your family, to lunch to discuss this?'

Me, and the family. Hmm, how much does he know?

`That's very generous. How does Sunday sound? Hinako has work the rest of the week.'

`That would be fine. I hope you can find a sitter, since this will be a matter for adults. I look forward to seeing the six of you.'

That would be a lot, then.

-*

Day 2505

-*

The girls wait, impatiently, as the cakes are brought out.

`The song!' Rin demands, her pale magenta hair bouncing as she wiggles, expectant.

`OK! This is not the normal birthday-song,' I tell the guests, `but I'll say a line, and then we'll sing it, OK?'

`OK!' the small horde of children says.

`Doom and gloom and dark despair.'

`Doom and gloom and dark despair,' everyone sings, managing the English words with more or less finesse.

`People dying everywhere.'

`People dying everywhere!' Rin and Megumi, being the birthday girls, and having sung it before, sing loudest of the children. The adults sing along to humor me, I think.

`Happy Birthday.'

`Happy Birthday,' The girls manage to drop their voices quite a bit.

`Happy Birthday.'

`Happy Birthday.'

`May the cities in your wake.'

`May the cities in your wake.'

`Burn like candles on your cake.'

`Burn like candles on your cake.'

`Happy Birthday. Ungh.'

`Happy Birthday. Ungh!' The girls call out the groan loudly.

`Now you've reached the age you are.'

`Now you've reached the age you are.'

`Your demise it can't be far.'

`Your demise it can't be far.'

`Happy Birthday, Ungh.'

`Happy Birthday, Ungh!'

`OK, now blow out the candles!' Kodachi gushes, almost as excited as the girls.

Each girl takes a deep breath, and blows their candles out in a single puff.

The rest of the party is spent eating cake, playing silly games, and listening to the girls tell their friends about the birthday song.

`Yep. Isn't it cool? The first one was just "Otanjoubi omedetou, otanjoubi omedetou, Megumi-chan otanjoubi omedetou," only in English. This one is much better,' Megumi is saying seriously.

Akane meets my smile over Megumi's head, and smiles herself.

-*

Day 2506

-*

It's a very nice steak restaurant. Whatever this job they're offering Ranma is, they must want her really bad.

We get the girlfriend menus, without prices. Ranma smiles at that, and reads carefully.

Kodachi's brought us here before, though, so I know about what the prices are, and what I want.

`What was it you had last time?' Utchan asks me.

`The New York Strip?'

`Yeah! That's what I want today.'

Hinako and Shanpuu both fold their menus at the same time.

Kodachi smiles, tapping hers with her knuckles.

Matsumoto-san has his folded already.

-*

There it is. Haven't tried that, yet. Decided, I fold my menu.

The waiter takes it as a signal, and comes up to take our orders.

-*

The food consumed, in Ranma's case, anyway, and the rest of us have made a big dent in ours, Matsumoto-san brings up what brought us here.

`As you know, we've been having . . . incidents,' he pauses, takes another bite of his steak, `beyond the ability of the police to deal with.'

We all nod, having dealt with a few of them, monsters, terrorists, martial artists.

`The Japanese government has created a special branch of the Secret Police to deal with them.'

`And you want us to join?'

`In so many words, yes. You've finished college, and we hope you will be willing to get paid to do what you have been doing already.'

-*

`Get into fights and destroy things?' I ask, with a smile.

He chuckles a little, `Keep people from getting hurt.'

`I,' I stress the word, `Might be interested,' it might interfere with teaching the Art, but I don't think I could make a living at that, anyway. No patience with people who won't put in the effort it needs. Who don't practice every morning and evening, whether they need it or not, and all of my students need it.

I've got a few who give it what it needs, but they can't afford to support the Doujo themselves.

`We'd like as many of you as we can get. Separately, any of you is more powerful than an infantry company. Together, you are . . . ' he trails off, `Impressively strong.'

-*

`I've got a job lined up,' I say, `Systems Administration for TouDai.'

`We'll pay half again what they are offering, and we can arrange things so that you can work for TouDai, but when we need you you can cut and run.'

`Nice,' I say, impressed. TouDai offered me a really good salary for a new graduate, with promises of increased pay with time. It doesn't hurt that I've been doing the job for the last few years.

-*

`So,' I ask him, `Are you going to just hire us and let us muddle things out on our own, or are we going to need some sort of training?'

`Some training. Working with the Interior Ministry systems, protocols, equipment. More forensics. Police Academy stuff. About three months, all told.'

`Sold,' Akane says.

`I, as well,' Kodachi says.

`Guess I'm in,' I say.

`Might as well,' Shanpuu says.

He looks to Utchan and Hinako.

Utchan shakes her head, `I've got my shop. It's,' she pauses, `My Art requires it. It takes much of my time.'

`That's rather what we expected,' he says, but sounds a little disappointed.

`If we can work it around my school duties,' Hinako says.

He nods, `That's more than we'd hoped.'

-*

Day 2560

-*

I shake myself, roll to my feet, and smile at my sparring partner.

The plant-creature smiles back, his magatama glowing slightly.

We don't have to sleep in dorms, because of our skill level, and the fact that we've four children between the six of us, but we do have to arrive before the sun, and don't get off until five or so in the evening.

We're about halfway through.

`OK, did you see that?' I ask the class, who we're demonstrating for.

-*

Day 2709

-*

It's been quiet so far, since we received our badges.

It's starting to make me worry. 

My cel-phone rings, `Incident in progress, Juuban, Minato-ku,' the dispatcher tells me.

`Details?' I ask, glad that the kids are with Utchan.

-*

I drop to the street in front of the shop, the aura of wrongness having guided me the last few blocks.

I don't see what's wrong for a moment, then a young girl appears, in a very short skirt, and confronts the shopkeep.

The shopkeep transforms into a monster, and that clears it all up.

We double-team it, and I shoot it once, just to make sure. It's bulletproof, but that distracts it from the girl in the short skirt.

She gets some advice from someone I don't see, and fires off some sort of ki attack. The monster turns to dust.

I turn to the girl, `Hello,' I produce a card, `Saotome Ranma, Japanese Secret Police, section four.'

`Um, Sailor Moon,' she tells me.

`If you could just fill out this superhero registration form for me,' I produce the form, along with a clipboard and pen.

She looks flustered, but takes them.

`You don't need to give me your real name and address, but it will help me to bring you your permits.'

`Permits?' she asks, looking confused.

`Yes, they'll allow you official aide whenever you feel you need it, and a small stipend.'

`Stipend?' she asks.

`Yes, the government has decided that the more time the magical girls and other superheroes can spend fighting monsters the better, so, while not extravagant, it should be enough to live on.'

`Wow,' she says, and smiles at me, `That's nice. I live with my folks, though, so . . . '

`It will accumulate in your account, anyway.'

She finishes the form, and I notice that she's given a name and address.

`Thank you, Tsukino-san. Here's your temporary badge and a cel-phone, so that we can contact you at need.'

She takes them and bows, `Thank you!' she says, `Is it OK if I use it for personal business?'

`They expect you to. Don't worry, they tell me they don't bug them.'

`Thanks,' she smiles, `I'll remember that,' and her tone tells me she got the hint.

-*

Day 2802

-*

I look at the group clustered around us, section four personnel, the Sailor Senshi, and a few other registered superheroes, all of the normal people sweltering in arctic gear.

We pack tight, and the Senshi form a ring around us.

A few words, and we're there, spreading out over the snow and ice.

-*

Ranma's smiling, pounding the monster. The monster doesn't seem to be feeling it much, but she's not attacking anyone else, so.

I wipe monster-blood off my katana, and look around for another.

-

Kodachi's arm is bleeding, and Ranma's hovering anxiously, applying pressure to the wound.

That's the worst of the injuries on our side. The enemy leaders are dead, having proven not to be immune to hand grenades.

Sailor Moon managed to turn one of them, and they, along with most of the rest of the assault force, are looking for the magical creature responsible for most of this mess, a being known as Queen Metallia.

There is an immense boom from down the hall.

My heart rises into my throat, and I can't prevent the terrified squeak that precedes it, `Shanpuu!'

`Hinako!' Ranma and Kodachi are on their feet, bandaged arm forgotten as they race toward the explosion.

Instants later, I reach the edge of the dust cloud, and Ranma, Shanpuu, Hinako, and Kodachi stumble out. I hug them all.

`Everyone OK?' Sailor Moon coughs from a little ways off.

A chorus of `Yes' and `I'm fine' is heard.

`Mars!' Sailor Moon yells, worried.

`Here!' the other girl calls back.

`Good.'

-*

Aside from Shanpuu almost killing me with a heart attack, Kodachi's wound is the worst of the raid. I'm damned happy about that.

The girls are gonna love the stories about this.

-*

FIN

\---  
log:   
2000 Spring and early Summer: involuntary plotting.   
2000 July 29: started.   
2000 August 13-15: A bit more   
2000 Sept: continued   
2000 December 2: bit more   
2000 December 3: bit more   
2001 January 8: itsy bit.   
2001 April 24: Three whole lines! and a bit of editting   
2001 October 24: a little more! Need to get through this scene, and then I can go on, finally.   
2001 November 16: gyeh, this is really dragging. ah well.   
2001 November 20: skipped the end, I should get back to it later, and jumped to the next day.   
2002 September 24: just a tiny bit.   
2002 November 17: finished the beast. What'd'ya think? Need to finish that FIXMEd lemon scene, still   
2002 November 26: tiny edits.   
2003 March 29: tiny edits.  
2017 December 12: Posted to AO3


End file.
